An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
