Minister Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have 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, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
