The US Department of Defence is set to include major Chinese companies such as Alibaba and BYD on a list of firms with ties to China’s military. This decision, part of the “Chinese Military Companies” list, comes ahead of an anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Pentagon’s move to update the list has stirred potential tensions between the two nations.
The list, known as the 1260H list, was submitted to the Federal Register by the Pentagon but was later removed from the website without explanation. Despite this, a defense official mentioned that the revised list will be made public next week. In addition to Alibaba and BYD, the Pentagon also plans to add Baidu, a prominent search engine company, to the list.
The compilation of this list, as required by the US Congress, identifies companies believed to have direct connections to the People’s Liberation Army or involvement in China’s military-civil fusion program. While being listed does not immediately result in legal actions for most companies, it can harm their standing and indicate potential future constraints.
