Restrictions cover privately owned cars, taxis and delivery vehicles
The US military has banned vehicles made by China’s BYD at Kadena air base in Okinawa, Japan, citing security concerns, the military in Japan said on Tuesday. The restriction took effect this week and applies to all BYD vehicles, including privately owned cars, taxis and delivery vehicles. Security personnel stationed at the base’s gates have been instructed to block the vehicles and tell drivers to turn around.
Lieut Col Alli Stormer, a spokesperson for the US air force 18th Wing at Kadena, said in a statement: “These vehicles present an unacceptable and unmitigable risk to our personnel and our mission.”
American military officials have not identified a specific threat behind the restriction. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported concerns about potential information leaks through vehicle-mounted technologies such as cameras, sensors and GPS devices.
The Guardian reported that the Kadena decision has fueled speculation that similar measures could be taken at other US military facilities as Washington tightens controls on Chinese technology suspected of collecting sensitive information.
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, which is said to be capable of firing Tomahawk missiles as far as 1,600km, putting parts of China and Russia within striking distance.
Kadena also hosts fighter planes and aircraft used for mid-air refuelling, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to its website.
The ban is part of wider measures taken by the US and other western countries to restrict Chinese smart technology in vehicles, mobile phones and other devices over fears that they could be used to spy on their owners. In June, the Pentagon added BYD to a list of 188 Chinese firms it believes have ties to the country’s military, drawing a protest from Beijing.
The list also includes automaker Nio, e-commerce firm Alibaba and internet company Baidu. The US defence department banned the sale and use of smartphones from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE at military bases worldwide in 2018, again citing security concerns.
China has imposed similar restrictions on US-made Tesla vehicles. It barred them from some government compounds in 2021 due to security concerns over cameras installed in the vehicles. Beijing removed 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. The company overtook Tesla as the world’s biggest seller of battery-electric vehicles in 2025 and is expanding overseas, including in Japan, the world’s fourth-biggest auto market.
In July, BYD launched its Racco electric minicar in Japan in the hope that the small, cost-efficient vehicle would carve out a place in a market dominated by domestic brands.