An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
