A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
