An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
