An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
