An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
