A defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
