A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
