A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
