Minister Says MoD Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry 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 Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport use to discussions habits.