An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection 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 car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. 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 stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
