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A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.

Security Advice for MoD Personnel

In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.

He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.

After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Broader Defence Background

The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.

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

This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.