Government Official States MoD Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
