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An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.

Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel

During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.

The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.

After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Broader Defence Context

This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

The broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.