An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
