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An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.

Safety Advice for MoD Staff

During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.

He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.

We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.

But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.

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 Background

This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from transport use to discussions habits.