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A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.

Safety Guidance for Defence Staff

In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.

He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.

We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.

However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.

When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Wider Defence Background

The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.

The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.