An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
