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A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.

Safety Guidance for Defence Staff

During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.

He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.

However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.

After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Security Context

This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.