Minister Confirms MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.

A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.

The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.

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

But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.

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

Wider Defence Context

The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.

This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.