Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.

An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.

Safety Advice for MoD Staff

In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.

He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.

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

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.

When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Broader Defence Background

The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.