A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The 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 allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
