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A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.

Security Guidance for Defence Staff

In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.

He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.

Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.

However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.

After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Defence Context

The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.

The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to communication practices.