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A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.

Security Guidance for MoD Personnel

In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.

The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.

Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.

When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Broader Defence Background

This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.