A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
