A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
