Government Official Says MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
