An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
