Government Official Says MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
