An defence official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
