An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
