A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
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 technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
