An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
