An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
