China Condemns US Decision to Label Major Firms as Military-Linked

By Mahima Katal Beijing, June 13: China on Saturday strongly criticised the United States for adding several leading Chinese companies to its list of firms allegedly linked to the Chinese military, arguing that the move contradicts the understanding reached during last month's summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The US Department of Defense earlier this week added several privately owned Chinese companies, including electric vehicle manufacturer BYD and technology giants Alibaba and Baidu, to a list identifying entities it believes have ties to China's military. Companies on the list face restrictions, including exclusion from US defence contracts.

In a statement issued on Saturday, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said Washington had disregarded the consensus reached by the two leaders during their meeting in Beijing. The spokesperson accused the US of undermining bilateral economic and trade relations by expanding the definition of national security and using state power to unfairly target Chinese businesses.

"The US side has ignored the consensus reached during the meeting between the heads of state of the two countries," the spokesperson said.

China further alleged that the move represented an abuse of national security concerns to suppress Chinese enterprises.

BYD, Alibaba and Baidu have previously rejected the Pentagon's designation, maintaining that there is no basis for their inclusion on the list.

Trump visited Beijing in mid-May for a closely watched summit with Xi, during which both leaders pledged to strengthen economic cooperation. The discussions included commitments by China to increase purchases of US agricultural products and Boeing aircraft, as well as plans to establish separate trade and investment boards to deepen bilateral engagement.