A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
