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An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.

Security Guidance for Defence Staff

During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.

The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.

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

But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.

When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”

Broader Defence Context

The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.

The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.