A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
