A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
