A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
