An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
