Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Staff Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.

An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.

Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel

In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.

The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.

Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.

However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.

After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Security Background

This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.

The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.