A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
