🔗 Share this article

An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.

Safety Guidance for MoD Staff

During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.

He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.

We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.

But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.

When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Security Background

The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

This wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.