Overview
- The U.S. military barred vehicles made by Chinese automaker BYD from Kadena Air Base on Monday, citing security risks to personnel and mission systems.
- Base officials and reporting say the concern centers on modern vehicle features such as GPS, cameras, microphones and wireless links that can collect or transmit location and sensory data.
- Korean media and other accounts report the ban covers private cars, contractor vehicles, taxis, delivery trucks and commercial vehicles that enter the installation.
- U.S. Forces Japan has signaled the policy could be applied at other U.S. bases in Japan and possibly at bases in South Korea, which would affect contractors, local workers and daily commuters.
- The move follows the Pentagon’s June designation of BYD on a list of firms tied to China’s military and has drawn criticism from China’s Foreign Ministry over what it calls discriminatory restrictions on Chinese companies.