Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.

A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.

Security Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.

He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict 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 stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Defence Background

This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.

This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.