A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
