A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
