An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However 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 technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
