A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
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 technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
