An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
