An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
