An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
