An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
