An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
