A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
