A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
