An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
