A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
