A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
