A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
