An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
