A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
