An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
