An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
