A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
