An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
