An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
