An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But 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 technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
