An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
