A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
