An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
