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A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.

Safety Advice for Defence Staff

In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.

The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.

We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.

When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”

Wider Defence Background

The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from transport use to discussions practices.