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An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.

Security Advice for MoD Personnel

In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.

The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.

We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.

However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.

When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Wider Defence Context

This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

This broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.