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An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.

Security Advice for Defence Staff

In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.

He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.

We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.

But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.

After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”

Broader Defence Background

This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.

Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.

This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to communication practices.