An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
