An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
