An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned 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 present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
