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A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.

Security Advice for Defence Staff

During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.

The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.

We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.

But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.

When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Security Background

The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.

Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.

This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.