An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
