A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
