U.S. Department of Defense Reclassifies Alibaba, Baidu, Unitree as Chinese Military Companies on Blacklist

The U.S. Department of Defense has re-added Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD to the 'Chinese Military Companies (CMC)' blacklist, designating them as entities linked to the Chinese military. The new list '1260H' includes companies deemed to support China's military-civil fusion strategy or have direct/indirect ties to the People's Liberation Army (PLA). While not subject to immediate legal penalties, the designation provides a basis for future U.S. sanctions. This follows a February incident where the DoD initially added firms before retracting the list, sparking speculation about Trump's diplomatic considerations. The DoD cited Alibaba's ties to China's MIIT and SASAC, BYD's connections to state agencies, and Baidu's involvement in military tech ecosystems. Unitree's inclusion threatens U.S.-China collaboration on humanoid robots, while other firms like NIO, CATL, and Robosense also face designation. With Tencent already on the list, major Chinese AI firms now face restrictions, raising concerns about U.S. geopolitical leverage.