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A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.

Safety Advice for Defence Staff

During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.

The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.

Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.

But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.

After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”

Broader Defence Background

The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.

The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.