A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles 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 devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
