Pentagon Blacklists Alibaba, Baidu and BYD Over Alleged Military Ties
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Defense Department expands Chinese Military Companies List to 72 entities. Photo: IC
The U.S. Department of Defense has blacklisted several of China’s largest technology companies, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Baidu Inc., adding them to a roster of firms it alleges are supporting the country’s military development.
In an update to its Chinese Military Companies List on Saturday, the Pentagon also added electric-car makers BYD Co. Ltd. and Nio Inc., robotics firm Hangzhou Yushu Technology Co. Ltd. (Unitree), and lidar manufacturer RoboSense Technology Co. Ltd. Other major additions include display-panel maker BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd. and solar-module producers JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd. and Trina Solar Co. Ltd.
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- The U.S. Department of Defense added major Chinese firms like Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Nio, and others to its Chinese Military Companies List, alleging support for China's military.
- Companies on the list are barred from U.S. defense contracts and may face limitations in accessing American capital.
- The list now totals 72 entities; some previous firms were removed after legal challenges, while others failed in court.
AI generated, for reference only
Who’s Who
- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has been blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Defense under the Chinese Military Companies List. The Pentagon alleges Alibaba, among others, participates in China’s military-civil fusion strategy through ties with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and has links to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
- Baidu Inc.
- Baidu Inc. has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. The Pentagon alleges Baidu, along with other companies, supports China's military development through participation in the country's military-civil fusion strategy. Inclusion on this list restricts the company's access to U.S. defense contracts and may affect its ability to secure American capital and business opportunities.
- BYD Co. Ltd.
- BYD Co. Ltd., an electric-car maker, has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. The Pentagon alleges BYD participates in China’s military-civil fusion strategy through ties with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and has direct or indirect links to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. Inclusion on this list restricts the company from U.S. defense contracts and may limit access to American capital.
- Nio Inc.
- Nio Inc., an electric-car maker, has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This designation stems from alleged ties to China's military development. Inclusion on this list restricts Nio from U.S. defense contracts and may limit its access to American capital and business opportunities.
- Hangzhou Yushu Technology Co. Ltd.
- Hangzhou Yushu Technology Co. Ltd. (Unitree) is a robotics firm recently added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. The Pentagon alleges that Unitree received support from Chinese government science and technology programs and was designated a "little giant" company, suggesting its role in advancing China's military-industrial objectives.
- RoboSense Technology Co. Ltd.
- RoboSense Technology Co. Ltd., a lidar manufacturer, has recently been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This designation indicates the Pentagon alleges the company supports China's military development. Inclusion on this list restricts the company from obtaining U.S. defense contracts and may limit its access to American capital and business opportunities.
- BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd.
- BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd. (BOE) is a Chinese display-panel maker that has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's list of "Chinese Military Companies." Inclusion on this list means BOE is barred from U.S. defense contracts and may face restrictions on accessing American capital and business opportunities.
- JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd.
- JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., a solar-module producer, has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This designation means they are barred from U.S. defense contracts and may face restrictions on accessing American capital and other business opportunities. Inclusion also carries significant reputational and commercial consequences.
- Trina Solar Co. Ltd.
- Trina Solar Co. Ltd., a solar-module producer, was added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This designation stems from the Pentagon's allegation that such companies support China's military development, potentially through ties with its military-civil fusion strategy. Inclusion on this list restricts the company from U.S. defense contracts and may limit access to American capital.
- Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp.
- Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp. (YMTC) was removed from the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This happened on the same day the Pentagon added several other major Chinese tech companies, including Alibaba and Baidu, to the list. YMTC successfully challenged its designation, along with other companies like Xiaomi Corp., leading to its removal from the list.
- ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc.
- ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc. (CXMT) is a Chinese memory-chip maker. It was previously on the U.S. Department of Defense's list of Chinese Military Companies but was recently removed from the list in an update.
- Tencent Holdings Ltd.
- Tencent Holdings Ltd. was added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List in January 2025. This designation implies the Pentagon believes the company supports China's military development, potentially restricting its access to U.S. defense contracts and capital.
- SenseTime Group Inc.
- SenseTime Group Inc. (商汤集团股份有限公司) was added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List in January 2025. This designation means the company is barred from receiving U.S. defense contracts and may face limitations in accessing American capital and business opportunities, as outlined in the article.
- Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd.
- Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) was included on the US Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List in January 2025. This designation can lead to significant reputational and commercial consequences, including being barred from US defense contracts and potentially facing constraints in accessing American capital and business opportunities.
- Xiaomi Corp.
- Xiaomi Corp. was previously included on the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. However, the company successfully challenged its designation. Along with Yangtze Memory and Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc., Xiaomi Corp. was removed from the list after suing the Defense Department.
- Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc.
- Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC), a Chinese company sometimes referred to as "中微半导体设备股份有限公司," was previously on the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. However, they were successfully removed from the list after filing a lawsuit against the Defense Department.
- Hesai Group Inc.
- Hesai Group Inc. is a lidar manufacturer that was previously included on the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. Unlike some other Chinese companies, Hesai Group Inc. was unsuccessful in its lawsuit challenging this designation.
- TP-Link Technologies Co. Ltd.
- TP-Link Technologies Co. Ltd. (TP-Link) is a Chinese technology company that has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This designation comes with significant reputational and commercial consequences, including being barred from U.S. defense contracts and potential limitations on accessing American capital.
- CALB Group Co. Ltd.
- CALB Group Co. Ltd. (CALB), also known as 中创新航科技股份有限公司, is a Chinese battery manufacturer. It was recently added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This designation means CALB is barred from U.S. defense contracts and may face restrictions on accessing American capital and business opportunities.
- EVE Energy Co. Ltd.
- EVE Energy Co. Ltd. (EVE Energy) is a Chinese new-energy vehicle and battery company. It was recently added by the U.S. Department of Defense to its Chinese Military Companies List, a roster of firms alleged to be supporting China's military development.
- Tianma Microelectronics Co. Ltd.
- Tianma Microelectronics Co. Ltd. (Tianma) has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This designation carries significant reputational and commercial consequences, including being barred from receiving U.S. defense contracts and potential constraints on accessing American capital.
- Autel Intelligent Technology Corp. Ltd.
- Autel Intelligent Technology Corp. Ltd. has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. It is the parent company of Autel Robotics, which was previously listed in Annex 1. This inclusion carries significant reputational and commercial consequences, potentially limiting access to U.S. capital and business opportunities.
- WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd.
- WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd. (WuXi AppTec), a biopharmaceutical company, has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. This inclusion suggests alleged ties to China's military development, leading to potential restrictions on U.S. defense contracts and access to American capital.
- Novogene Co. Ltd.
- Novogene Co. Ltd. (Novogene) has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List. Inclusion on this list means Novogene is barred from receiving U.S. defense contracts and may face restrictions on accessing American capital and other business opportunities.
- Zhongji Innolight Co. Ltd.
- Zhongji Innolight Co. Ltd. (Innolight) was recently added to the U.S. Department of Defense's list of Chinese military companies. This designation was made due to its operations in communications and optical modules. While not triggering sweeping sanctions, this inclusion bars the company from U.S. defense contracts and may limit its access to American capital and business opportunities.
AI generated, for reference only
What Happened When
- January 2025：
- Companies including Tencent Holdings Ltd., SenseTime Group Inc., and CATL were added to the Chinese Military Companies List.
- After January 2025：
- Some companies such as Yangtze Memory, Xiaomi Corp., and Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. were removed from the list after suing the Defense Department.
- February 13, 2026：
- The Pentagon briefly posted the updated Chinese Military Companies List before taking it down.
- February 14, 2026：
- The U.S. Department of Defense officially updated the Chinese Military Companies List, adding companies including Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Nio, Hangzhou Yushu Technology (Unitree), RoboSense, BOE, JA Solar, and Trina Solar.
- February 14, 2026：
- Several companies, including Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp. and ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc., were removed from the list.
- As of February 14, 2026：
- The total number of Chinese entities on the Chinese Military Companies List reached 72.
AI generated, for reference only
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