A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
