A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
