A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
