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A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.

Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel

During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.

The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.

We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.

However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.

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

Broader Security Background

This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.

The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.