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An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.

Safety Advice for Defence Personnel

During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.

The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.

Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.

However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.

When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”

Broader Security Background

This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.

The broader security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.