A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
