Minister Says MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible 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 responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
