A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
