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An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.

Security Advice for Defence Staff

During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.

The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.

We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.

However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.

When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Security Context

The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.

This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.