A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
