A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
