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A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.

The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.

However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.

When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Wider Security Context

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

Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.

This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.