A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
