By Michael Martina and Alexandra Alper
WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. withdrew an updated list of Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing’s military shortly after it was posted earlier on Friday with the addition of some of China’s biggest companies, including Alibaba and Baidu.
The link to the U.S. government’s Federal Register where the Pentagon’s 1260H list had been posted was replaced with a “withdrawn,” notice about an hour after being published.
“An agency letter requesting withdrawal of this document was received after placement on public inspection,” the Federal Register posted in an editorial note, without providing a reason.
The Pentagon could not be reached immediately for comment.
Though the list does not formally impose sanctions on Chinese firms, under a new law the department will be prevented in coming years from contracting and procuring from companies on the list.
Updating the list could antagonize Beijing following a trade truce reached by China’s Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in October. Trump is expected to travel to China in April, though dates for the visit have yet to be set.
Other additions on Friday included automaker BYD, biotech firm WuXi AppTec and AI-driven robotics technology company RoboSense Technology Co Ltd, while chip memory maker YMTC was removed.
Being added to the list also sends a message to Pentagon suppliers and other U.S. government agencies about the U.S. military’s opinion of the firms, some of which have sued the U.S. over their inclusion.
An Alibaba spokesperson said there was no basis for their inclusion and threatened legal action. “Alibaba is not a Chinese military company nor part of any military-civil fusion strategy.”
The list already includes major Chinese firms such as Tencent Holdings, one of China’s largest tech companies, and CATL, a major battery maker in the electric vehicle industry.
(Reporting by Michael Martina and Alexandra Alper; editing by Philippa Fletcher, Nick Zieminski, William Maclean and Chizu Nomiyama)
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