An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
