A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
