Government Official Says MoD Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens 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 vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
