An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
