A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if 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 car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
