An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
