A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
