A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
