An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
