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An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.

He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.

After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”

Wider Security Context

The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.

This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.