Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.

An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.

Safety Advice for MoD Staff

During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.

He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.

We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.

After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Wider Defence Context

This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.

Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.

This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.