A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
