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An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.

Safety Advice for MoD Personnel

In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.

The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.

We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.

However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.

When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Wider Defence Context

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

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

The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.