Pentagon Twice Withdraws "Chinese Military-Linked Companies List," Removing Alibaba, Baidu

The U.S. Department of Defense twice issued—and quickly retracted—the latest version of its "Chinese Military Companies" (CMC) list on February 13 and 14, drawing widespread attention. The updated list added Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Unitree Robotics, and BOE Technology, while removing companies such as Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC) and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). However, both announcements were withdrawn shortly after publication. The Pentagon provided no specific explanation, issuing only a notice of retraction. This move has highlighted the inconsistency and uncertainty in the U.S. government’s designation process, raising external concerns about the coherence and transparency of its policy, and potentially affecting the companies involved, market confidence, and U.S.-China cooperation in technology and trade.