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An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.

Safety Guidance for Defence Staff

During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.

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

Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.

However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.

After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”

Wider Defence Context

The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.

The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.