An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However 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 Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible 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 responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
