An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether 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 technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
