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A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.

Security Guidance for Defence Personnel

During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.

The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.

However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.

After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”

Wider Defence Background

The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.

The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.