Government Official Confirms MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
