An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
