BYD vehicles are being barred from Kadena Air Base, a major US military installation in Okinawa, Japan, over security concerns. The restriction reportedly took effect Monday and applies to all BYD vehicles, including taxis, delivery vehicles and contractor vehicles. Although US officials have not disclosed the specific reason for the ban, reports suggest concerns that cameras and sensors in modern vehicles could collect sensitive information around military facilities.
US Military Cites Security Risks
Kadena Air Base is located on Okinawa, roughly 1,000 miles southwest of Tokyo. According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, security personnel have been instructed to turn away BYD vehicles.
Lieutenant Colonel Alli Stormer, a spokesperson for the base, described the vehicles as an unacceptable and unmitigable security risk, according to Reuters. However, Stormer did not identify a specific incident or explain the evidence behind the decision.
Modern cars use cameras, sensors and connected systems to monitor their surroundings and support driver-assistance features. Reports suggest these technologies may have contributed to concerns about BYD vehicles at the base, but the precise security assessment has not been made public.
BYD Already Faces US Security Scrutiny
The restriction comes as Chinese companies face wider scrutiny from US authorities over their alleged links to China’s military.
The Pentagon’s updated list of companies it believes support China’s military, released in June, includes BYD alongside fellow automaker Nio, e-commerce company Alibaba and technology firm Baidu. Inclusion on the list does not, by itself, prove that a company has engaged in espionage or that its vehicles have collected sensitive information.
Chinese automakers also face major barriers to entering the US passenger-car market. High tariffs and restrictions on Chinese automotive software have kept their vehicles out of mainstream US sales.
Polestar, owned by China’s Geely group, has faced software-related restrictions despite manufacturing vehicles at its plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina. The company is set to exit the US market after the 2026 model year. Meanwhile, some US lawmakers are pushing legislation intended to keep Chinese-connected vehicles out of the country more permanently.
Similar Concerns Have Emerged In China
The United States is not alone in raising security concerns about connected vehicles. In 2021, Tesla vehicles were temporarily barred from some Chinese government sites. Those restrictions were overturned in 2024 after China-made Teslas met the country’s data-security requirements.
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