Is BYD's Southeast Asian EV drive a Huawei-style security threat?

Channing Lee is an associate director for foreign policy at the Special Competitive Studies Project and is also a Young Professionals in Foreign Policy rising expert in national security. The views and opinions expressed belong to the author.

Southeast Asia's electric vehicle market is surging, with sales in the first quarter of 2024 more than doubling year-on-year, while internal combustion engine sales declined by 7%. Driving much of this growth is Chinese EV giant BYD, which has rapidly expanded its manufacturing footprint and sales across the region.