An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport use to communication practices.
