An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
