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An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.

Security Advice for Defence Personnel

In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.

He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.

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

But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.

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

Broader Defence Context

This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.

This wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.