An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
