An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
