An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But 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 technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
