The United States has added several of China’s biggest technology and manufacturing companies, including Alibaba Group, Baidu, BYD and NIO, to a Pentagon list of firms it believes are supporting China’s military.
The updated list, released on Monday, replaces an earlier version issued in 2025 and comes less than a month after US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where both leaders maintained a fragile trade truce.
Known as the 1260H or Chinese Military Companies list, the designation reflects Washington’s concerns that major Chinese firms are contributing to Beijing’s military and industrial capabilities.
The latest update also includes memory chip manufacturers CXMT and YMTC, biotechnology company WuXi AppTec, robotics firms RoboSense Technology and Unitree, as well as several other technology companies.
Alibaba rejected the designation, saying there was “no basis” for its inclusion.
“Alibaba is not a Chinese military company nor part of any military-civil fusion strategy. We will take all available legal action against attempts to misrepresent our company,” the company said in a statement.
WuXi AppTec also challenged the move, describing its inclusion as incorrect.
The company said it would “take immediate actions to challenge and correct this erroneous designation.”
Baidu similarly denied any military links.
“The suggestion that Baidu is a military company is entirely baseless. We will not hesitate to use all options available to us to have the company removed from the list,” the company said.
China’s embassy in Washington criticised the US action, accusing Washington of unfairly targeting Chinese businesses.
“The U.S. should stop its wrong practice and create a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies,” an embassy spokesperson said.
The Pentagon said the listed firms “qualify for designation as ‘Chinese military companies’” and operate in the United States. It added that companies have the right to petition for removal from the list.
Some firms were removed from the updated register, including two entities linked to state-owned oil giant China National Offshore Oil Corporation, while other affiliates were added.
Chairman of the US House Select Committee on China, John Moolenaar, said the revised list should serve as a warning to American businesses and government agencies.
“These Chinese companies are working with the Chinese military against our national interests,” he said.
The move is likely to add fresh strain to relations between Washington and Beijing as both countries continue to compete for technological and strategic influence.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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