An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
