An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” 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 Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
