Minister States Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
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, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
