An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
