A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
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 devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
