An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
