A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
