An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
