A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
