China opposes US move to list top firms as military companies

China has expressed strong opposition to the U.S. decision to add several prominent Chinese companies, including BYD, Alibaba, and Baidu, to a list of military companies. The Pentagon's move, which aims to prevent these firms from securing U.S. defense contracts, is seen by China as disregarding the consensus reached during a recent summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. A Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson stated that the U.S. has ignored bilateral economic interests, broadened national security definitions, and unfairly targeted Chinese businesses. The affected companies have also asserted there is no basis for their inclusion on the list.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung rejected expanding military ties with Japan due to unresolved historical grievances. The US added Chinese tech firms like Alibaba and BYD to a military company blacklist, targeting sectors central to US-China technological competition. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, emphasizing enhanced exchanges in diplomacy, law enforcement, and military affairs, potentially signaling a message to the US and Russia. In Hong Kong, a lawmaker stated that sacking a school principal for a Singapore dispute could be a "death sentence" in the labor sector. The Thai shrimp industry faces collapse after Malaysia banned imports, compounding existing issues. Chinese space startups anticipate an IPO boom, influenced by SpaceX's potential listing. Finally, a Chinese man discovered he bought a 34th-floor apartment in a 32-story building without compensation.

The US Department of Defense has expanded its blacklist of Chinese military-linked companies under Section 1260H, adding 54 new entities for a total of 188. This updated list, released on Monday, includes major Chinese technology and industrial firms such as Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, and Nio. The Pentagon states these companies assist China's military. This action comes after recent efforts to ease bilateral tensions between the US and China, potentially impacting the fragile stability achieved at last month's summit and underscoring ongoing intense competition.

The US Department of Defense has added Alibaba, BYD, Baidu, and over a dozen other prominent Chinese tech companies to a blacklist of "Chinese military companies" operating in the United States. This designation, published in a Federal Register notice, aims to restrict China's access to American capital, technology, and government contracts. The companies were identified as meeting the criteria under Section 1260H of the 2021 National Defence Authorisation Act, which targets firms supporting China's military-civil fusion strategy. The expanded list now includes major private-sector companies beyond traditional defense and industrial groups, encompassing e-commerce, electric vehicles, AI, biotech, solar manufacturing, robotics, and networking equipment.