China 'strongly dissatisfied' with Pentagon move against top Chinese tech firms

BEIJING: China is “strongly dissatisfied” with a U.S. move to add several large Chinese companies ​to the Pentagon’s list of firms it says are aiding ‌China’s military, the commerce ministry said on Saturday.

The foreign ministry has also expressed concern about the U.S. Defense Department’s long-awaited update to its ​list on Monday, which included such top technology names ​as e-commerce giant Alibaba, internet search provider Baidu, and ⁠automakers BYD and NIO

The list also includes the world’s largest ​solar panel makers: Trina Solar and JA Solar Technology.

The list includes ​a broad swathe of China’s top technology firms key to advancing Beijing’s military and industrial prowess, reflecting Washington’s security concerns amid intense geopolitical competition ​between the countries.

“China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes this,” ​the commerce ministry said in a statement. “China urges the U.S. to immediately ‌stop ⁠its erroneous practices, immediately withdraw relevant measures and return to the correct track of building a constructive strategic and stable China-U.S. relationship.”

If Chinese firms are not treated fairly, it said, Beijing ​will “inevitably retaliate resolutely ​and forcefully”.

The Pentagon ⁠update supersedes a list from early 2025 and comes a month after Presidents Donald Trump ​and Xi Jinping met in Beijing and maintained ​a delicate ⁠trade-war truce.

The ministry statement said the Pentagon’s move “ignored the consensus” reached between the two leaders.

Under U.S. law, the Defense Department will ⁠be prohibited ​from contracting directly with companies on ​the list and restricted from buying their products or services through third parties ​from 2027.