A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
