An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
