A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
