An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
