Minister States Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.

An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.

He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.

But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.

When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Wider Defence Background

The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.

This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.