An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
