An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent 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 is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
