An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
