A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
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 discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When 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 precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
