A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
