An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The 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 disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
