🔗 Share this article

An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.

He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.

Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.

After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Security Context

The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.

This wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.