A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
