Government Official Says MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security 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 Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
