A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
