U.S. Designates BYD, Alibaba, Baidu as 'Chinese Military Enterprises' on Black List; China Immediately Objects

*This content was translated by AI.

The U.S. government has added major Chinese private tech companies, including BYD, the world's number one electric vehicle manufacturer, e-commerce giant Alibaba, and IT firm Baidu, to a list of 'military-linked enterprises.' This move reflects the U.S. resolve to prevent the military application of private sector technologies in response to China's 'military-civil fusion' strategy.

According to a report by the UK's BBC on the 9th (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense has newly added major Chinese companies such as BYD, Alibaba, Baidu, and WuXi AppTec to its 'Chinese Military Enterprises' list. The Department of Defense stated that this action aims to warn U.S. companies and institutional investors about potential security risks that could arise from business transactions with these firms.

This designation does not immediately lead to economic sanctions or trade bans. However, it is expected to significantly damage the international credibility of these companies in global financial markets, capital raising, and supply chains. Experts believe the U.S. government has targeted these firms not for direct evidence of defense contracts, but for their involvement in China-led advanced innovation programs in artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and batteries. Notably, BYD, which overtook Tesla earlier this year to become the world's top electric vehicle manufacturer, is included on the list.

China strongly objected. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States issued an official statement, saying, "The U.S. action is an overtly discriminatory act against Chinese private enterprises," and added, "Chinese companies have strictly complied with foreign laws and competed fairly." Alibaba, in a statement by its spokesperson, countered, "We are not a Chinese military enterprise, nor are we part of the national military-civil fusion strategy."

Market concerns are rising that economic and technological tensions between the U.S. and China could escalate into a full-scale confrontation. Stephanie Cam, a policy analyst at Nanyang Technological University, stated, "The Beijing authorities will likely view this measure as another form of economic blockade imposed by the U.S.," and added, "It is highly probable that the Chinese government will activate retaliatory sanction lists targeting U.S. companies or take comprehensive diplomatic countermeasures."

Meanwhile, some voices in Washington argue that given the difficulty of completely decoupling from the Chinese economy, listing too many companies may result in ineffective pressure.

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*This content was translated by AI.