A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
