Government Official Confirms MoD Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But 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 vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
