A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
