A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
