Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
