An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
