China's Commerce Ministry publicly rebuked a recent U.S. decision to place a number of large Chinese corporations on an updated Pentagon roster identifying firms that U.S. authorities say are linked to or support China’s military-industrial capabilities.
The ministry said in a statement that it was "strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes this," and urged the United States to rescind the measures and return to what it called a constructive and stable bilateral relationship. The statement also warned that Beijing would take action if Chinese companies were not treated fairly.
The revised Pentagon list adds several of China’s best-known technology and industrial names, including Alibaba, Baidu, BYD and NIO. The Defense Department later included solar manufacturers Trina Solar and JA Solar Technology on the roster.
According to the Commerce Ministry, the update to the list undercuts an understanding reached about a month earlier when U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing and maintained a fragile trade truce. The ministry said the latest U.S. action undermines the understanding reached during that meeting.
The Pentagon’s revised roster replaces a version published earlier in the year. The list is intended to identify companies that U.S. authorities believe are linked to China’s military or that support its military-industrial capabilities.
Under the applicable U.S. law cited in the announcement, the Defense Department is barred from entering into direct contracts with firms on the list. In addition, restrictions on purchasing goods and services from those companies through third parties are scheduled to take effect in 2027.
The inclusion of leading technology platforms, electric-vehicle manufacturers and solar producers in the Pentagon’s list underscores persistent tensions between Washington and Beijing over national security, technology leadership and industrial policy. The ministries and companies named were not further detailed in the Commerce Ministry statement released publicly.
The dispute puts a spotlight on how industrial and technology policy intersects with national security determinations and on the timeline for future procurement restrictions, which are set to tighten in 2027 under the current U.S. statutory framework.