An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
