The Trump administration is under intense criticism after it briefly posted and withdrew an updated list of Chinese companies alleged to be in bed with the Chinese military.
The list posted briefly on the Federal Register identifies firms, within American jurisdiction, that are deemed to be “Chinese military companies.” It was up for only a short period on February 13, 2026.
US posts and deletes list
The Pentagon later reportedly requested its withdrawal without any concrete explanation. Among the high-profile names on the list were BYD, the world’s largest electric car manufacturer, Alibaba, Baidu, biotech company WuXi AppTec, AI-powered robotics tech company RoboSense Technology Co Ltd, Tencent Holdings, and major battery manufacturer, CATL.
The list is formally known as Section 1260H “Chinese Military Companies” list and is mandated by Congress to be compiled by the US Department of Defense and consists of companies controlled by the Chinese military or in close ties with the Chinese military.
The list does not automatically mean such companies are in any form of legal trouble, but it does some form of reputational harm to such companies because it implies that the US may take punitive measures against them in the future.
However, biotechnology company WuXi AppTec will have its operations affected in the US, since it was placed on the list. This is due to the Biosecure Act, passed in December 2025, that prohibits the federal government from doing business with “biotechnology companies of concern”. Any company on the 1260H list happens to fall under this category.
In a surprising move, the defense department removed CXMT and YMTC – two memory chipmakers- from the list.
Companies like BYD and Baidu have pushed back on the idea that they are in with the Chinese military or the Chinese government. Alibaba says it will explore legal options in response to the Pentagon’s actions.
The sudden withdrawal of the PDF from the Federal Register has confounded many, as it gives mixed signals about the Trump administration’s stance on foreign policy and national security challenges.
Experts believe that the upcoming summit in April between President Trump and Xi Jinping might have played a role in the sudden withdrawal.
Criticism from US lawmakers.
Democratic lawmakers like Senator Mark Warner, ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, have accused the Trump administration of undermining US security interests by kowtowing to Beijing’s demands at such a critical juncture.
He said: “The Trump administration has subordinated national security concerns to a haphazard and transactional approach, bowing to U.S. companies pursuing deals with (Chinese) companies-of-concern, granting licenses for export of sensitive U.S. technology, and permitting continued access to U.S. markets by (Chinese) national champions so long as it provides opportunities to enrich the president’s family and friends,”
In a social media post, Representative Gregory Meeks stated: “This is appeasement, Trump is making Americans less safe by sacrificing technology security.“
China’s response
Neither the Chinese government nor the Chinese Embassy has released a statement concerning the Pentagon’s latest moves.
However, when the Biden administration caused a similar stir last year, a spokeswoman for China’s Ministry of Commerce criticized the US, saying that the US unjustifiably suppresses Chinese enterprises, and such actions severely disrupt international trade and economic order, and endanger the stability of global industry and supply chains.
She continued that China urges the US to respect facts and rules, immediately cease its wrongful actions, and provide Chinese companies with fair, just and non-discriminatory treatment.
The Pentagon says a revised list will be released in a few weeks, suggesting the withdrawal was nothing short of an administrative procedure.
Whether this spells the beginning of a closer relationship between Beijing and Washington remains to be seen. But one thing is certain, all eyes are on the April summit between President Trump and President Xi.