An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
