A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
