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A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.

Safety Advice for MoD Personnel

In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.

He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.

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

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.

After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Defence Background

The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.

Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.