An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
