A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent 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 to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
