A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
