China is'strongly unhappy' about the Pentagon's move against top Chinese technology firms

China is "strongly disappointed" by the U.S. decision to add several large Chinese firms to the Pentagon list of companies it claims are aiding China’s military, said Saturday's commerce ministry.

The Foreign Ministry has also expressed concerns about the U.S. Defense Department updating its long-awaited list on Monday. This included top technology names such as ecommerce giant Alibaba, internet search provider Baidu, and automakers BYD, and NIO.

Later, it added?the largest solar panel manufacturers in the world: Trina Solar & JA Solar Technology to the list.

Washington's concerns about security are reflected in the list, which includes many of China's leading technology companies that are key to advancing Beijing's industrial and military prowess.

In a press release, the Commerce Ministry said that China was "strongly dissatisfied" and strongly opposed this. "China urges U.S. officials to stop their erroneous actions, withdraw the relevant measures immediately and return to a correct path of building a constructive and stable China-U.S. relationship. relationship."

Beijing said that if Chinese firms were not treated fairly it would "retaliate?resolutely, and forcefully".

The Pentagon update replaces a list dated?early?2025. It comes a month following a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump in Beijing, where they?maintained a delicate truce on the trade war.

In a statement, the ministry said that the Pentagon's actions "ignored" the consensus reached by the two leaders.

According to U.S. laws, the Defense Department is prohibited from directly contracting with companies on this list. They will also be restricted from purchasing their products and services via third parties starting in 2027. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Greg Torode from Hong Kong

(source: Reuters)