Minister States MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
