US Base in Okinawa Bans BYD Vehicles Over Security

The US military in Japan has banned vehicles made by Chinese electric-car maker BYD from Kadena airbase on the southern island of Okinawa, citing security concerns. The ban took effect this week, and the military announced it on Tuesday.

"These vehicles present an unacceptable and unmitigable risk to our personnel and our mission," said Lieut Col Alli Stormer, a spokesperson for the US air force 18th Wing at Kadena.

The restrictions cover every BYD vehicle, including privately owned cars, taxis and delivery vehicles, according to reports. Guards at the base gates have been told to stop BYD vehicles and ask drivers to turn around.

A base that would be central in a crisis

Kadena is the biggest US air force base in east Asia and would be directly involved in responding to a crisis involving China, Russia or North Korea. Its inventory includes the Typhon missile system, said to be able to fire Tomahawk missiles as far as 1,600km, which would put parts of China and Russia within range. According to its website, the base also hosts fighter planes and aircraft used for mid-air refuelling, surveillance and reconnaissance.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the move comes amid worries about information leaks through vehicle-mounted technology such as cameras, sensors and GPS devices. American military officials have not named a specific threat. The ban has fuelled speculation that similar steps could follow at other US military sites.

It fits a wider effort by the US and other western countries to restrict Chinese smart technology in vehicles, phones and other devices that they fear could be used to spy on owners. In June the Pentagon added BYD to a list of 188 Chinese firms it believes have ties to the country's military, which drew a protest from Beijing. Nio, Alibaba and Baidu are also on the list. In 2018 the US defence department banned the sale and use of smartphones from Huawei and ZTE at its bases worldwide.

China has taken similar steps against American cars. In 2021 it barred Tesla vehicles from some government compounds over cameras installed on them, and lifted that restriction in 2024 after Tesla won an endorsement from the country's top auto industry association.

BYD had not immediately responded publicly to the Kadena ban. It overtook Tesla as the world's biggest seller of battery-electric vehicles in 2025. It is now expanding abroad, including in Japan, the world's fourth-biggest auto market, where it launched the Racco electric minicar in July.

Source: The Guardian