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An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.

Security Advice for Defence Personnel

In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.

The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.

We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.

But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.

When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Wider Defence Context

The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.

The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.