A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
