An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice 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 talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
