An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
