A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
