An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
