A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
