🔗 Share this article

A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.

Security Guidance for Defence Staff

In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.

He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.

But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.

When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Defence Context

This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.

This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.