A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
