An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
