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An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.

Safety Advice for MoD Personnel

In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.

The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.

We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.

But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.

After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”

Broader Defence Context

The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.

The wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.