A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
