Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.

A defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.

Security Guidance for Defence Staff

In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.

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

Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.

But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.

After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”

Wider Security Context

The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.

The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.