A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
