A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
