A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
