An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
