A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
