US bans vehicles from China’s BYD at Japan military base, calling them ‘unacceptable’ risk

The US military has banned all BYD vehicles from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The restriction applies to vehicles entering the base, not just those owned or operated by the military. Officials say the vehicles create an unacceptable and unmitigable risk to personnel and the mission.

The ban covers privately owned BYD cars, taxis, and delivery vehicles. Security personnel at the gates have reportedly been instructed to identify BYD vehicles, block entry, and tell drivers to turn around. The concern centers on technology fitted to modern vehicles, including cameras, sensors, and GPS systems.

The policy began this week and may become a model for other US military facilities. Officials have not identified a specific threat linked to a particular BYD vehicle. Instead, Kadena is applying a broad restriction because of wider concerns about Chinese technology collecting sensitive information near military sites.

BYD is a Chinese automaker specializing in electric vehicles. The company has expanded beyond China and entered Japan, where it launched its Racco electric minicar in July. BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s biggest seller of battery-electric vehicles in 2025, giving its technology a large and growing international footprint.

Modern electric vehicles are often connected or “smart” because they use onboard computers and communications systems. Cameras can observe surroundings, sensors can measure movement or nearby objects, and GPS can record location. These systems support driving, navigation, safety, and vehicle management. The article identifies these technologies as the source of security concerns.

The article does not describe a specific BYD data incident or threat. It reports broader fears that Chinese smart technology could collect sensitive information or be used to spy on owners. That concern has led the US military to restrict BYD vehicles at Kadena, even when they are privately owned.

Kadena is the biggest US air force base in East Asia. Its location on Okinawa makes it a major part of the US military presence in the region. The base would be directly involved in responding to a crisis involving China, Russia, or North Korea, according to information cited in the article.

Its inventory includes the Typhon missile system, which is described as capable of firing Tomahawk missiles up to 1,600km. Kadena also hosts fighter planes and aircraft used for mid-air refuelling, surveillance, and reconnaissance. These capabilities make the base important for combat operations, monitoring, and supporting aircraft.

Because Kadena has such a central military role, security officials treat information near the base as especially sensitive. The BYD restriction therefore affects more than ordinary vehicle access. It reflects concern that connected vehicles could operate close to important weapons, aircraft, personnel, and mission systems.

Cameras, sensors, GPS, and communications equipment can make a vehicle a moving information-gathering platform. Near a military base, such systems could potentially capture images, measure nearby activity, record locations, or reveal travel patterns. Even ordinary data may become sensitive when it concerns a strategic installation.

For example, a camera might observe aircraft or security procedures, while GPS records repeated trips around gates or operational areas. Sensors could detect nearby objects or movements. If a vehicle transmits data through connected services, information could potentially leave the vehicle and be accessed elsewhere. These are general features of connected vehicles; the article does not identify a specific BYD incident.

The military has therefore focused on risk rather than proving a particular breach. Lieutenant Colonel Alli Stormer called the vehicles an unacceptable and unmitigable risk. The ban is designed to prevent possible information leaks before they affect personnel, facilities, or missions.

For BYD, the Kadena decision creates a security-related obstacle in Japan just as the company is expanding there. BYD launched its Racco electric minicar in July and hopes its small, cost-efficient design can compete in a market dominated by domestic brands. A military-base ban could add reputational and access concerns to that commercial challenge.

The immediate restriction is specific to Kadena. It covers every BYD vehicle type entering the base, including private cars, taxis, and delivery vehicles. The article does not say that Japan has restricted BYD sales or that other bases have adopted the same policy. Its direct effect is on access to one strategically important US facility.

The wider implication is possible imitation. The ban has fueled speculation that similar rules could appear at other US military facilities as Washington restricts Chinese technology. However, the article reports no confirmed expansion beyond Kadena. BYD’s overseas growth therefore continues, but under closer security scrutiny.

The Kadena action belongs to a broader pattern of restrictions on Chinese technology. In 2018, the US Defence Department banned the sale and use of Huawei and ZTE smartphones at military bases worldwide. In June, it added BYD to a list of 188 Chinese firms it believes have ties to China’s military. The list also includes Nio, Alibaba, and Baidu.

China has taken comparable steps against US technology. In 2021, it barred Tesla vehicles from some government compounds because of concerns about their installed cameras. The restriction reflected fears that vehicle systems could create security problems around sensitive government locations.

China removed the Tesla restriction in 2024 after Tesla received an endorsement from China’s top auto industry association. The US and China have therefore both used security arguments to limit technology access, while the article gives no indication that the broader dispute has ended.

Connected vehicles use cameras, sensors, GPS receivers, onboard computers, and communications links. Sensors gather information about the vehicle and its surroundings. Computers process that information to support navigation, safety, monitoring, or other functions. The vehicle may then store data or transmit it through connected services. These are established features of connected technology; the article names the equipment but does not explain BYD’s exact data architecture.

Near a military base, the information could include location, travel patterns, images, or observations of nearby activity. For example, repeated GPS records might show when vehicles approach particular gates, while cameras could capture aircraft or security arrangements. Even if each data point seems harmless, several points together could reveal useful patterns.

That possibility matters because Kadena supports missions involving China, Russia, and North Korea. US officials have not identified a specific incident, but they describe the risk as unacceptable and unmitigable. The ban prevents BYD vehicles from operating inside the base rather than relying on later detection of a leak.