An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
