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A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.

Safety Advice for Defence Personnel

In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.

The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.

We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.

After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”

Broader Defence Background

This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.

This wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.