An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
