A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
