The US Department of Defense has added Chinese corporate giants Alibaba, BYD, and Baidu to its list of companies allegedly supporting China's military, expanding the blacklist to 188 firms from 134 in 2025. The move threatens to undermine fragile détente between Washington and Beijing.

The Pentagon's 'Chinese military companies' list, created in 2021, bars designated firms from US defense contracts. Companies are included if they are owned or controlled by the Chinese military or contribute to Beijing's 'military civil fusion' strategy, and if they operate in the US.

China's embassy in Washington condemned the listing as 'discriminatory' and an example of the US 'overstretching' national security. A spokesperson claimed Chinese companies strictly comply with local laws abroad.

Alibaba, BYD, and Baidu—leaders in e-commerce, EVs, and internet search—did not comment. Other additions include AI firm RoboSense Technology and robotics company Unitree Robotics.

Former CIA official Dennis Wilder expressed skepticism about the blacklist's feasibility, stating, 'Sanctions that range this widely are sanctions that don't work. Unless the US is willing to decouple from the Chinese economy altogether, these sanctions are simply performative.'

Source: www.aljazeera.com