An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
