A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
