An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
A tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and digital innovation across global markets.
