Australia has not taken steps to restrict Chinese electric vehicles at military bases, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in Cebu on Oct. 28, Reuters reported.
Marles made the remarks in Cebu on Oct. 28, Reuters reported. He said Australia was monitoring safety around its bases and added, “we haven't taken that step.” Reuters also reported that Washington had not asked Australia to adopt the U.S. measure.
The U.S. Air Force has barred BYD vehicles from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, The Guardian reported. Lt. Col. Alli Stormer, a spokesperson for the Air Force’s 18th Wing at Kadena, said the vehicles posed an “unacceptable and unmitigable risk” to personnel and the mission, according to The Guardian. U.S. officials had not identified a specific threat behind the decision, the newspaper reported.
Accounts cited by The Guardian describe the restriction as covering privately owned BYD cars, taxis and delivery vehicles. That brings private drivers and commercial operators within its reach. The Kadena rule applies to BYD vehicles at one U.S. base; Marles addressed Chinese electric vehicles at Australian military bases more broadly.
The Guardian, citing Yonhap, linked the measure to concerns that vehicle cameras, sensors or GPS could expose information. It also described broader scrutiny of connected devices made in China. The outlet noted earlier security-related restrictions: U.S. military bases limited Huawei and ZTE smartphones in 2018, while China imposed restrictions on Tesla vehicles at some government compounds beginning in 2021 and lifted them in 2024.
Australia’s Department of Defence said Marles was representing the country at the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in the Philippines. The meeting is scheduled for Oct. 28-29.
