A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
