A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
