An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
