An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
