An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
