An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport use to communication habits.
