An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
