An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in 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 vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
