An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether 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 car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
