A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
