A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
