An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
