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An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.

Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel

In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.

He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.

We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.

When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”

Wider Security Background

This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.

The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.