A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
