US Bars Chinese Electric Cars From Okinawa Air Base

The US military has banned vehicles manufactured by Chinese electric-vehicle giant BYD from entering Kadena Air Base in Japan, citing concerns that the cars pose a security risk to American forces and operations. The ban took effect this week at the Okinawa base, one of the most strategically important US installations in East Asia.

The restriction applies not only to private cars owned by service members or civilian employees, but also to taxis, delivery vehicles and any other BYD-manufactured transport. Security personnel at the base gates have been instructed to turn away the vehicles and direct drivers to alternative routes.

Major Eli Stormer, spokesperson for the 18th Wing at Kadena, explained the decision: "These vehicles pose an unacceptable and unmitigable risk to our personnel and our mission." Military officials, however, did not cite a specific threat that prompted the ban or detail any particular espionage incident involving the company's cars.

American concerns center on the technological capabilities of modern connected vehicles. Electric cars may include cameras, sensors and GPS systems that collect data about their surroundings and location. At a sensitive military facility, such information could potentially reveal details about aircraft movements, operational activity and security infrastructure.

Kadena holds significant strategic importance: it serves as a central hub for American air operations in the Pacific and hosts fighter jets as well as aircraft for refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance. In the event of a confrontation with China, Russia or North Korea, the base would likely play a central role in the American response.

Air France aircraft (Photo: Shutterstock)

The decision fits into a broader Washington effort to restrict the use of Chinese technology at military installations. In June, the Pentagon added BYD to its list of Chinese companies assessed to be linked to the Chinese military, alongside firms including automaker Nio, e-commerce giant Alibaba and technology company Baidu. Beijing protested the move.

This is not the first such step in the technological struggle between the two powers. In 2018, the Pentagon banned the sale and use of Huawei and ZTE phones at military bases worldwide over security concerns. China has also previously restricted the use of American-made Tesla vehicles at government compounds, fearing data collection through the cars' cameras, though it lifted those restrictions in 2024.