A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
