A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
