An defence minister 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 any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
