An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.