A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
