An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
