A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
