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A defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.

Safety Advice for Defence Staff

In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.

He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.

We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.

However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.

When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Defence Context

The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.

The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.