Government Official Confirms MoD Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
