An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But 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 MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
