A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport use to communication practices.
