An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
