A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
