An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
