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A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.

Security Advice for MoD Staff

During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.

He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.

We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.

However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.

After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Broader Security Background

The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.