An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
