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A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.

Security Guidance for Defence Personnel

In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.

He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.

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

But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.

After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Broader Security Background

This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

This wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.