A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern 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 very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
