A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
