An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD 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 technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
