An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
