A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
