A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
