An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
