An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
