The United States has broadened its scope of technology restrictions against China. The U.S. government has now included companies in e-commerce, search, electric vehicles, biotechnology, robotics, and telecommunications equipment as security risks.
On June 8, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Defense updated its list of Chinese companies deemed to support the military, adding about 24 new firms. Among those included are Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Wuxi AppTec, Unitree, and TP-Link Technologies.
This list is revised annually by the U.S. Defense Department. The U.S. government believes that Chinese private tech companies could be utilized for the development of military technology and enhancement of military capabilities. Companies on the list are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the U.S. military.
Alibaba is known for e-commerce and cloud services, Baidu for search and AI, BYD for electric vehicles, Wuxi AppTec for contract development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, and Unitree for humanoid robotics.
China has expressed strong opposition to the sanctions. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. stated, "The U.S. Department of Defense is excessively expanding the concept of national security and targeting Chinese companies with a discriminatory list." Alibaba, Baidu, and Wuxi AppTec have also asserted that they are not related to the Chinese military and are considering responses to seek removal from the list.
This announcement comes amid a trend of easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The Wall Street Journal noted that the Trump administration has adjusted some sanctions and high tariffs on Chinese companies, as well as investigations into Chinese-linked hackers, since last fall. An initial list released earlier this year was also withdrawn ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
However, the assessment linking Chinese private tech firms to military risks remains intact. Chinese memory semiconductor companies Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) and Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT), which were omitted from an earlier draft in February, have now been included.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.