A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
