An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security 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 represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
