Government Official States MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
