An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
