An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
