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An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.

Safety Guidance for MoD Staff

During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.

He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.

We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.

However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.

When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Wider Security Context

The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.

This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.