An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
