An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for 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 not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
