An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
