An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
