An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, 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 explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
