Alibaba sues US Pentagon over inclusion on 1260H defense list

Alibaba Group filed a federal lawsuit in San Jose on June 23, 2026 seeking removal from the US Department of Defense’s “1260H” list, which designates companies alleged to support China’s military. The list, expanded in early June to include 188 firms such as BYD, Nio, Baidu, Unitree Robotics and TP‑Link, bars listed entities from supplying goods, services or technology to the Pentagon after June 30 2026 and prohibits any contracts with the Department from 2027.

Alibaba argues the designation is unfounded, noting that its operations are purely commercial and that it has no ties to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology or the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. The company claims the decision violates due‑process rights and freedom of speech. The lawsuit follows a pattern of Chinese firms challenging US restrictions, citing Xiaomi’s successful 2021 case and a recent suit by WuXi AppTec. China’s embassy in Washington described the US actions as discriminatory and urged a fair environment for international business.