Beijing has expressed strong opposition after the United States moved to place several major Chinese technology firms on a blacklist over allegations of ties to the Chinese military, a decision that has further strained relations between the two global powers.
The latest update from the US Department of Defense includes well-known companies such as Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent. Washington claims the listed firms are involved in supporting China’s military modernization efforts.
China’s Foreign Ministry responded firmly, with spokesman Lin Jian criticizing the move as an unfair expansion of national security concerns. He urged the US to “correct its erroneous practices” and warned that Beijing would take steps to protect the rights and interests of Chinese companies.
The updated blacklist reportedly includes around 80 companies and their subsidiaries. It largely mirrors an earlier version briefly published and then withdrawn earlier this year, with the addition of two major memory chipmakers: ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies.
The decision comes at a sensitive time for US–China relations. Only last month, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing in an effort to stabilize diplomatic and economic ties, with discussions focused on easing tensions and maintaining dialogue between the two economies.
While the companies named in the list face limited immediate legal consequences, the designation is widely seen as a warning signal that could pave the way for stricter restrictions in the future. Some of the firms have already pushed back publicly, with Alibaba calling its inclusion a “mistake” and Baidu stating there is “no credible justification” for the listing.
The move underscores the continuing technological and geopolitical competition between Washington and Beijing, particularly in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and advanced computing.
For now, both sides appear to be balancing between confrontation and cautious diplomacy, but the latest development shows how fragile that balance remains in an increasingly divided global tech landscape.
