A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
