An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
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 technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. 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 stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.