A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
