An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
