An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks 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 stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
