An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
