An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
