An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
