A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
