Minister States Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
