A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
