An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
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-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
