Government Official Confirms MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.

A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.

Security Advice for Defence Staff

During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.

He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.

But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.

When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”

Broader Defence Background

This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.

The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.