Alibaba sues US military over labelling it a ‘Chinese military company’
Summary
Alibaba has sued the U.S. Department of Defense for labeling it as a “Chinese military company.” Alibaba says this label is wrong and that it is an independent company that does not have any ties to the Chinese military.Key Facts
- Alibaba filed a lawsuit in a federal court in San Jose, California, to remove its name from the U.S. military’s list of Chinese military companies.
- The U.S. added Alibaba to this list on June 8, along with other Chinese firms like BYD and Baidu.
- Being on the list means Alibaba cannot provide goods or services to the U.S. Department of Defense starting June 30.
- From 2027, the Pentagon will also be banned from contracting with Alibaba, even through third parties.
- Alibaba says its business focuses on retail, logistics, and enterprise IT, not military or intelligence work.
- The Pentagon claims Alibaba is linked to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and supports military-civil fusion, which means combining military and civilian technology efforts.
- China’s embassy in Washington called the U.S. action “discriminatory” and urged the U.S. to stop unfair treatment of Chinese companies doing business abroad.
- The Pentagon’s list of Chinese military companies has grown from 134 firms in 2023 to 188 in 2024 as part of increased U.S. restrictions on Chinese tech companies.
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