Government Official Confirms MoD Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.

An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.

Security Advice for Defence Personnel

In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.

The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.

Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.

But regardless of if you’re traveling in 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 level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.

When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Wider Defence Context

This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.

This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.