An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
