A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
