An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
