A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
