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A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.

The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.

We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence 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 people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.

After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”

Wider Security Context

This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.