The United States military has announced a ban on vehicles manufactured by Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD from entering Kadena Air Base in Japan, citing security concerns linked to the presence of the vehicles at the strategically important installation.

The restriction will come into force on Monday at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, according to earlier reports by South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The facility is one of the most important US air power hubs in the Indo-Pacific and is situated along Japan's south-western island chain near the East China Sea.

Explaining the decision, base spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Alli Stormer said: “These vehicles present an unacceptable and unmitigable risk to our personnel and our mission.”

However, she did not disclose the specific issue that prompted the installation's commander to impose the ban on the Chinese-made electric vehicles.

BYD had not responded to requests for comment at the time the decision was announced.

The move comes amid growing scrutiny in Washington of Chinese technology and connected vehicles. Modern electric vehicles are equipped with an array of cameras, sensors and communications systems, which have increasingly become the focus of security debates in several countries.

BYD has emerged as one of the world's most prominent electric vehicle manufacturers and surpassed Tesla in 2025 to become the largest seller of battery-electric vehicles globally.

The company has also been accelerating its international expansion strategy, with Japan becoming one of its key overseas targets.

In July, BYD launched its Racco electric minicar in Japan as part of efforts to gain market share in a country traditionally dominated by domestic automotive brands.

The latest restriction also follows a decision by the Pentagon in June to designate BYD, alongside Alibaba, Baidu and NIO, as companies it believes support China's military-industrial ecosystem.

BYD strongly rejected that designation, arguing that there was no justification for its inclusion and stating that it would pursue administrative and legal measures to defend its interests.

The designation does not amount to sanctions, but it reflects growing US concerns regarding links between certain Chinese commercial enterprises and Beijing's broader national security objectives.

The decision at Kadena Air Base highlights the increasing overlap between technology, transport infrastructure and security policy as geopolitical competition between Washington and Beijing continues to intensify.

China has previously adopted comparable measures involving foreign vehicle manufacturers.

In 2021, Chinese authorities barred Tesla vehicles from entering some government compounds because of concerns surrounding the cameras installed on the cars and the potential collection of sensitive information.

Beijing later removed those restrictions in 2024 after Tesla received support from China's leading automotive industry association.

The ban at Kadena Air Base therefore represents the latest example of governments and military organisations taking a more cautious approach towards connected vehicle technologies, particularly when they are deployed near sensitive military facilities or strategic defence infrastructure.

Agencies