WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon added Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD to its list of Chinese military companies in June. The updated roster, known as the 1260H list, now includes 188 entities.
Alongside these companies, the Pentagon also designated WuXi AppTec, RoboSense Technology Co Ltd, Unitree, Nio, CALB Group, EVE Energy, Baicells, and China BlueChemical Limited. The department's filing states that designated companies qualify as Chinese military companies and operate in the U.S. A prior version of this update was published in February before being withdrawn by the department. The June release restored Chinese memory chipmakers CXMT and YMTC to the list after their removal from the February version.
The department removed China Ltd and CNOOC International Trading from the list. A department filing indicates CNOOC is directly controlled by the Chinese government. Another department filing identifies Alibaba and Baidu as affiliates of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
"The updated list is a warning to American businesses, all levels of government, and the American people. These Chinese companies are working with the Chinese military against our national interests," Representative John Moolenaar said. "Beijing opposes making discriminatory lists to go after Chinese companies," a Chinese embassy spokesperson said. "The US should stop its wrong practice and create a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies," the spokesperson said.
"Washington is no longer treating these as isolated companies. It is treating the entire technology stack as strategically contested," Craig Singleton, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said. The 1260H list was established in 2021 under the National Defense Authorization Act. Under U.S. law, the Defense Department is prohibited from contracting directly with listed companies starting in late June. The department is also prohibited from purchasing products or services from designated companies through third parties beginning in 2027. Several designated companies have filed lawsuits against the U.S. government challenging their inclusion on the list. Companies on the list can petition the department for removal. Nvidia announced plans to collaborate with Unitree to develop robots for researchers.