An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
