A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
