A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
