A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
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 vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
