A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if 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 car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
