A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars 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 devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
