An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
