An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.