A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
