An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s 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 cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
