A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
