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An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.

Safety Advice for MoD Personnel

During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.

The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.

We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.

However whether 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 conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks 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 safety.

After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”

Wider Security Context

The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.

Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.

This broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.