A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
