Pentagon Blacklists Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD Over Ties to Chinese Military
The United States Department of Defense (Pentagon) has added several major Chinese technology companies, including Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD, to its so-called 1260H list, which includes entities accused of cooperating with the Chinese military. This decision was announced in an official notice published in the Federal Register and updates the annual list of Chinese firms linked to China’s military modernization.
According to international media reports, this move comes shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump made an official visit to Beijing last month. The Anadolu Agency has warned that this decision could negatively impact relations between Washington and Beijing.
The 1260H list identifies companies believed by U.S. officials to be collaborating with the People’s Liberation Army of China or operating within the framework of China’s “military-civil fusion” strategy. With the addition of new names, three major Chinese artificial intelligence companies—Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent—are now included on this list; Tencent was previously added in 2025.
The Pentagon has also expanded its scrutiny to China’s electric vehicle technology sector by including BYD, a major automaker. In the latest version of the list, the names of two leading memory chip manufacturers, ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies, previously included, have been reaffirmed.
Being on this list does not directly equate to sanctions; however, it can limit these companies’ ability to contract with the U.S. Department of Defense or receive certain research funding. The move is also viewed as a warning to investors and American entities.
First published in 2021, the list now covers more than 100 Chinese companies across sectors including aviation, semiconductors, construction, shipping, telecommunications, computer hardware, and artificial intelligence. It is generally seen as a precursor to stricter trade or investment restrictions.
