Minister Says MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Told to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
