A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
