A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
