Pentagon Adds Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, and Unitree to List of Entities Supporting China's Military

The Pentagon has expanded its list of entities it says support the Chinese military, adding Alibaba, Baidu, EV-maker BYD, and buzzy robotics company Unitree. This move increases the chances that the Department of Defense could make it harder for US companies to do business with these entities, further straining the tension between the US and Chinese governments.

The list, known as the 1260H list, is a tool used by the US to place restrictions on Chinese tech companies. The list now includes 188 companies, with most of China's biggest artificial intelligence players on board. Tencent was added to the list last year, and President Donald Trump has said he's weighing whether the US should take equity stakes in the country's top AI companies.

The Pentagon added a handful of automotive industry players to the list this year, including BYD, trendy EV company Nio, battery companies CALB Group and EVE Energy, and Robosense, one of China's leading makers of lidar sensors. Baidu, a leader in autonomous vehicles, is also on the list.

When asked for comment, Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Nio, and Robosense did not immediately respond.

The update to the 1260H list was briefly published in February before being pulled from the Federal Register for unexplained reasons, as noted by Bloomberg News.

The addition of these companies to the list is likely to have significant implications for US companies that do business with them. The US has already used tariffs to put pressure on China, including a 100% tax on imported Chinese EVs.

The list is just one tool used by the US to restrict Chinese tech companies. The US has also used tariffs to put pressure on China, with President Trump imposing a 100% tax on imported Chinese EVs.

As the US and China continue to tension, it's likely that the list will continue to grow. The US has already added most of China's biggest AI players to the list, and it's likely that more companies will follow.

The Pentagon's move is just the latest in a string of actions taken by the US to restrict Chinese tech companies.

• The US has already used tariffs to put pressure on China, including a 100% tax on imported Chinese EVs.

• The list is just one tool used by the US to restrict Chinese tech companies.

• The US has already added most of China's biggest AI players to the list, including Tencent.

• The list now includes 188 companies, with most of China's biggest AI players on board.

• The Pentagon added a handful of automotive industry players to the list this year, including BYD, Nio, CALB Group, EVE Energy, and Robosense.