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An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.

Safety Advice for MoD Personnel

In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.

He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.

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

However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.

After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Broader Security Context

The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.