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A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.

Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel

During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.

He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.

But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.

After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”

Wider Security Background

This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.

This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.