An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology 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 only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
