A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
