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An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.

Safety Guidance for MoD Staff

In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.

He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.

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

But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.

After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Wider Defence Background

This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

The wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.