Minister States Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
