A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
