An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
