🔗 Share this article

A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.

The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.

However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.

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

Wider Security Context

The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.