US military base in Japan bans China's BYD electric vehicles

One of the largest US military bases abroad, Kadena air base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, has banned vehicles made by Chinese electric car maker BYD. The US military in Japan announced the decision on Tuesday. The ban took effect this week and is one of several measures Washington has taken to restrict Chinese technology it suspects could be used to gather sensitive information.

"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, in a statement.

What the ban covers

Reports say the restriction applies to all BYD vehicles, including privately owned cars, taxis and delivery vehicles. Security staff at the base gates have reportedly been told to stop such vehicles and ask drivers to turn around.

Kadena is the largest US air force base in east Asia and would be directly involved in responding to a crisis involving China, Russia or North Korea. It holds the Typhon missile system, said to be capable of firing Tomahawk missiles up to 1,600km. The base also hosts fighter aircraft and planes used for mid-air refuelling, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Wider context

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the move reflects concerns about possible information leaks through vehicle-mounted cameras, sensors and GPS devices. American military officials have not identified a specific threat.

In June the Pentagon added BYD to a list of 188 Chinese companies it believes have ties to China's military, prompting a protest from Beijing. The list also includes carmaker Nio, e-commerce firm Alibaba and internet company Baidu. In 2018 the US defence department banned Huawei and ZTE smartphones at military bases worldwide.

China, for its part, barred US-made Tesla vehicles from some government compounds in 2021 over camera concerns, but lifted the restriction in 2024 after Tesla won an endorsement from the country's top auto industry association.

BYD has not immediately responded publicly to the Kadena ban. It 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, where it launched its Racco electric minicar in July.