A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
