A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
