Minister Says MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Staff Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.

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

Safety Advice for Defence Staff

During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.

The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.

Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.

But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.

After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”

Wider Security Background

This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.