A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom 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 public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
