An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
