An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
