An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
