An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
