A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
