An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified 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 sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
