China has strongly criticised the United States after Washington moved to add major Chinese firms, including Alibaba and Baidu, to a blacklist of companies it claims are linked to the Chinese military.
Beijing reacted on Tuesday, saying it firmly opposes what it described as the US practice of broadening national security concerns to justify pressure on Chinese businesses. The statement was delivered by foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a regular press briefing in Beijing.
Lin said China has consistently rejected what it called unreasonable suppression of its companies, urging Washington to correct its actions. He warned that China would take necessary steps to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its firms if the measures continue.
The latest Pentagon update includes about 80 companies and their subsidiaries. It closely mirrors an earlier version released in February that was later withdrawn without explanation, although two memory chip manufacturers were reintroduced in the revised list. Those firms are ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies.
The move comes at a sensitive time in US China relations, following a recent high level meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at easing tensions between both countries. The meeting had raised hopes of improved diplomatic stability, with discussions also including a possible reciprocal visit by Xi to Washington in September.
Among the companies affected are several major Chinese technology firms involved in artificial intelligence and digital services, including Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent. Tencent had already been placed on the list prior to the latest update.
In response, Alibaba described its inclusion as an error, while Baidu stated publicly that there is no credible justification for its addition to the list. Despite the concerns raised by the companies, the designation currently carries limited immediate legal consequences, though analysts note it could signal the possibility of tougher restrictions in the future.
