An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
