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A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.

Security Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.

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

Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.

After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Security Background

This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.

This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.