China condemns US Pentagon blacklist of Chinese tech firms

The U.S. Department of Defense released an updated list of around 80 Chinese companies it says are linked to the People’s Liberation Army. The list, published on Tuesday, names major firms such as Alibaba, Baidu, Tencent, BYD and chip makers ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies.

U.S. Representative John Moolenaar warned American businesses that dealing with the listed firms could threaten U.S. national security. Beijing responded through foreign‑ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, accusing Washington of “repressing” Chinese companies and vowing to defend their legitimate rights and interests.

The targeted companies have rejected the designations. Baidu called the accusation “completely unfounded,” Alibaba described its inclusion as an “error” and threatened legal action, and BYD said it does not contribute to China’s defense industry. The episode follows a recent meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping and raises the risk of heightened economic and strategic tensions between the United States and China.