A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible 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 is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement 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 buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
