business
Alibaba Sues Pentagon After Being Added to List of Firms With Ties to China’s Military
The Chinese e-commerce company filed suit after the Defense Department placed it on the 1260H list alongside Baidu, BYD and Nio. Alibaba says the designation lacks factual or legal basis and blocks it from U.S. defense-related business.
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Alibaba filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense after the Pentagon added the company to its updated 1260H list of firms with alleged ties to China's military. The complaint, lodged in federal court, seeks removal from the list and argues the designation rests on no evidence of military activity.
The Pentagon released the revised list earlier this month. It names Alibaba, Baidu, BYD and Nio as military-civil fusion contributors to China's defense industrial base because of their regulatory ties to Beijing. Inclusion bars the Defense Department from contracting with the listed firms or using their products through third parties.
Alibaba stated it maintains no ties to the Chinese military and that none of its independent board members hold military affiliations. " The suit notes Alibaba sought a meeting with the Pentagon after a February draft list briefly appeared and was withdrawn. The company submitted evidence of its U.S.
Economic contributions and lack of military links, yet received no reply or hearing before the final designation took effect. Any U.S. contractor sharing a lobbyist or law firm with a listed company now risks losing its own defense contracts, a restriction Alibaba says will strip it of legal representation in Washington.
