An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
