A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
