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A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.

Security Advice for MoD Personnel

During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.

The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.

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

But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.

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

Wider Security Context

The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.

This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.