A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
