An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is 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 every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
