US military bans BYD vehicles from strategic air base in Japan

TOKYO: The US military said on Friday it will ban vehicles made by Chinese EV maker BYD from an air base in Japan, saying their presence posed a security risk.

The ban will begin at the Kadena Air Base on Japan’s Okinawa island on Monday, the Yonhap newswire reported earlier.

The base is a major US air power hub on Japan’s strategic southwest island chain running along the edge of the East China Sea.

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

She did not say what specific concern had prompted the commander to act against the Chinese electric vehicles. BYD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Chinese company, which overtook Tesla as the world’s biggest seller of battery-electric vehicles in 2025, is expanding overseas, including in Japan.

It launched its Racco electric minicar there in July as it seeks a foothold in a market dominated by domestic brands.

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The Pentagon in June designated BYD, along with e-commerce firm Alibaba, internet company Baidu and automaker NIO, as companies it believes support China’s military.

BYD rejected the designation and said it would pursue administrative and legal avenues to protect its interests. China has imposed similar restrictions on Tesla vehicles.

In 2021 it barred them from some government compounds due to security concerns over cameras installed on the vehicles.

Beijing removed that restriction in 2024 after Tesla won an endorsement from the country’s top auto industry association.