A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
