A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
