An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
