A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
