A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
