A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
