A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
