A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
