An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
