A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
