A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
