A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
