A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
