A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
