Pentagon Retracts Chinese Military Companies List Twice in Two Days
00:00/00:00
Listen to this article
1x
Subscribe now
Listen to the full version
Listen to the full version
On the evening of Feb. 14 local time, the U.S. Department of Defense again withdrew the latest notice on the “Chinese Military Companies” list. Photo: IC
The U.S. Department of Defense has twice withdrawn a newly updated list of alleged “Chinese Military Companies” (CMC) within two days, fueling confusion over the status of major technology firms including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Baidu Inc. and BYD Co. Ltd.
A notice for the latest version of the list vanished from the U.S. government’s Federal Register website on the evening of Feb. 14 local time, one day after it was first published and swiftly taken down. The webpage now shows a “Page not found” error.
You've accessed an article available only to subscribers
VIEW OPTIONS
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
- RELATED
Share this article
Open WeChat and scan the QR code
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
Explore the story in 30 seconds
- The US Department of Defense twice withdrew an updated list of “Chinese Military Companies,” which had proposed adding firms like Alibaba and Baidu and removing YMTC and CXMT.
- These rapid reversals caused uncertainty for companies and investors, briefly affecting share prices before the list was again retracted and proposed changes were not enacted.
- YMTC, subject to strict export controls since 2022, sued for removal from the list; its global NAND market share may reach 12% in 2025, CXMT’s DRAM share 4.5%.
AI generated, for reference only
Who’s Who
- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. was proposed for addition to the U.S. Department of Defense's "Chinese Military Companies" (CMC) list. This proposed inclusion, though withdrawn, caused its U.S.-listed shares to fall by 1% to 4% before rebounding. The repeated withdrawals of the list have created uncertainty regarding its status, alongside other major technology firms.
- Baidu Inc.
- Baidu Inc. is a major technology firm that was proposed to be added to the U.S. Department of Defense's "Chinese Military Companies" list. This inclusion was part of a newly updated list that was twice withdrawn, causing confusion and uncertainty. The initial brief listing caused Baidu's U.S.-listed shares to fall before rebounding after the list's withdrawal.
- BYD Co. Ltd.
- BYD Co. Ltd. (比亚迪股份有限公司) was among the technology firms included in a newly updated list of alleged "Chinese Military Companies" by the U.S. Department of Defense. This list, which also named companies like Alibaba and Baidu, was twice withdrawn within two days, creating uncertainty for affected companies.
- Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. Ltd.
- Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. Ltd. (YMTC), a leading memory-chip maker, was proposed to be removed from the U.S. Department of Defense's "Chinese Military Companies" list. This would have provided relief for its overseas operations, but the list's withdrawal has left its status uncertain. YMTC sued the Defense Department in December 2025, arguing it has no ties to the Chinese military.
- ChangXin Memory Technologies
- ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is a leading Chinese memory-chip maker. The U.S. Department of Defense proposed removing CXMT from its list of "Chinese Military Companies" (CMC), a decision that was later withdrawn. CXMT is crucial to China's semiconductor self-sufficiency, with its DRAM market share projected to hit 4.5% by 2025.
- Nio Inc.
- Nio Inc. (蔚来) is mentioned as one of the U.S.-listed firms whose shares temporarily fell following the initial, but since withdrawn, publication of a U.S. Department of Defense list. Its stock dropped between 1% and 4% before recovering after the list was retracted.
- TrendForce
- TrendForce, also known as 集邦咨询, is a market research firm. It projected that Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. Ltd. (YMTC)'s share of the global NAND flash market would reach 12% in 2025. It also predicted that ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT)'s share of the DRAM market would hit 4.5%.
AI generated, for reference only
What Happened When
- December 2022：
- YMTC was added to the Commerce Department’s 'Entity List,' subjecting it to strict export controls.
- December 2025：
- YMTC filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense seeking removal from the CMC list.
- Morning of Feb. 13, 2026：
- The latest version of the CMC list appeared on the U.S. government's Federal Register website.
- About 30 minutes after morning of Feb. 13, 2026：
- The CMC list was removed from the Federal Register website without explanation.
- Morning of Feb. 14, 2026：
- The CMC list resurfaced on the Federal Register website with largely unchanged content.
- Evening of Feb. 14, 2026：
- The latest version of the CMC list was withdrawn again from the Federal Register website.
AI generated, for reference only
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新