Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.

A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.

The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.

We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.

When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Security Background

This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.