A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
