An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
