UK MoD warns staff not to discuss secrets in cars from China

The UK Ministry of Defence has reportedly placed warnings in electric cars from China, banning staff and troops from discussing sensitive information amid spying fears.

Stickers urging passengers to “avoid conversations above official within vehicle” appeared on dashboards of electric vehicles (EVs) leased by the ministry, many of which are manufactured by China’s state-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.

​Another sticker warns against connecting MoD devices to EVs, Forces News reports.

The MoD is believed to have already banned some electric vehicles with China-made components from sensitive military bases due to espionage concerns.

Defence Minister Lord Coaker said in March that the ministry was working to understand and mitigate any potential threats to national security from vehicles, including those manufactured in China.

He stated that the MoD has issued internal directions to all drivers and passengers, but there are no centrally mandated policy restrictions on the movement of Chinese-manufactured vehicles.

The UK has issued multiple alerts about the threat of Chinese espionage in recent years.

Earlier this week, the security service MI5 warned that the Chinese state actors pose as civilian recruitment head-hunters on LinkedIn in an attempt to hire people with access to sensitive information about the British state.

The warning came as Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced the new action against espionage threats to the UK, which includes a £170 million ($223 million) investment in renewing encrypted technology that civil servants use to safeguard sensitive work.

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