Effective Oct. 26, all BYD-manufactured vehicles will be prohibited from entering the base including private cars, taxis, delivery trucks and other commercial vehicles, with no exceptions.
Kadena, one of the largest U.S. air bases in the Indo-Pacific, plays a key role in American military operations in the region and hosts the U.S. Typhon missile system, which can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The ban aims to prevent sensitive military information from being collected through vehicle-mounted cameras, sensors, GPS systems and internet-connected technologies, with similar restrictions potentially expanding to U.S. military bases in South Korea.
According to data disclosed last week by lawmaker Kang Dae-sik of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), at least 190 Chinese-made connected vehicles are registered to enter South Korean military facilities, including naval bases in Busan and Jinhae and Air Force bases in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, which house F-35 stealth fighters and KF-21 jets.
The revelations have raised concerns over security risks posed by these vehicles, which could expose sensitive information around military installations, as they can collect surrounding data through cameras, radar, microphones and precise GPS systems.
In June, the U.S. Department of War added BYD and 187 other companies including Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Baidu to its list of Chinese military companies, potentially subjecting them to restrictions. The department has also taken earlier steps to address security concerns, banning the sale and use of Huawei- and ZTE-made smartphones at stores on U.S. military bases worldwide in 2018 and restricting the use of Huawei telecommunications equipment near military facilities and overseas bases.
Unlike the U.S., the Ministry of National Defense here has reportedly yet to impose security measures, such as restricting connected vehicles' access to military facilities or ask automakers to cooperate on security measures.
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