US bars Chinese carmaker BYD's vehicles from Kadena Air Base in Japan on security grounds

The United States has barred electric vehicles made by the Chinese company BYD from entering one of its key military bases in Japan. The decision at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa island took effect on October 26. The US military has cited security as the reason.

Tension between the US and China, sometimes open and sometimes muted, has surfaced many times before. China has grown so powerful that it now poses a stiff challenge to the US. The technology contest between the two has now reached the car business directly.

Kadena Air Base is counted among the most important US military bases in the Asia-Pacific region. Fighter aircraft, surveillance aircraft and other military assets are stationed there, which is why special attention is paid to the security of the area.

Under the new decision, BYD vehicles will not be allowed into the base premises. This includes personal cars of military personnel, taxis, delivery vehicles and contractors' vehicles. Security personnel at the gates have been instructed to turn such vehicles back.

The concern is that today's electric vehicles carry a range of cameras, sensors, GPS and internet-linked systems, which can be used to collect information about the vehicle's surroundings. The US fears that information about aircraft movements at the base, radar systems and other sensitive matters could leak out.

However, US officials have so far put forward no specific evidence that BYD vehicles have actually been used for spying. The US says such restrictions are necessary to protect military personnel and keep operations confidential.

The US has earlier restricted Chinese technology companies in the name of security. In June, the US Department of Defense added BYD to its list of related companies, alleging links with China's military. BYD had objected to that stance. China, for its part, had earlier cited security to bar US-made Tesla vehicles from some government premises.

The issue of data collection by electric vehicles and national security has thus become important for both countries. For now, the US restriction is limited to Kadena Air Base. All eyes are on whether similar bans will follow at other US military bases in Japan.