An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
