An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
