An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
