A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
