An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
