An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
