A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.