An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
