An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
