Government Official States Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Staff Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
