A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
