An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
