A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to communication habits.
