A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
