Minister Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including transport use to communication practices.
