An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
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 precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.