An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric 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 RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
