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An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.

Security Guidance for Defence Staff

In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.

The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.

We have a fleet 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 vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.

When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Defence Context

The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.

This broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication practices.