An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
