An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
