Minister Confirms MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.

A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.

Safety Guidance for MoD Staff

During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.

The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.

We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.

However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.

After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Security Context

The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

This broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.