A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
