Pentagon expands China blacklist to 188 firms, testing US-China stability before Xi's visit

The US Department of Defense released its updated Section 1260H list on Monday, expanding the roster of Chinese military-linked companies from 134 to 188 entities. Major technology and industrial firms were added, including e-commerce giant Alibaba, search provider Baidu, electric vehicle makers BYD and Nio, solar companies JA Solar and Trina Solar, battery producers CALB and EVE Energy, pharmaceutical firm Wuxi AppTec, robot maker Unitree, and networking equipment company TP-Link. The Pentagon's action, required by US law, comes just before Chinese President Xi Jinping's anticipated visit to the US, testing the fragile stability reached at last month's leadership summit in Beijing.

China's foreign ministry condemned the move as "discriminatory," with spokesman Lin Jian stating Beijing firmly opposes the US overstretching the concept of national security to target Chinese businesses. Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, responded that there is no basis to conclude it should be on the list. Analysts say the expansion highlights that intense competition persists despite recent efforts to ease bilateral tensions, and could cast a shadow over Xi's visit and any potential progress on trade and technology issues.