An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
