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An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.

Safety Guidance for MoD Staff

During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.

He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.

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

But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.

After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Wider Defence Context

This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.

This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.