An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
