A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
