A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
