Alibaba sues US Department of Defense for branding it a 'Chinese military company'


Alibaba group logo is seen in this illustration taken, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

June 23 (Reuters) - ⁠Chinese tech and e-commerce giant ⁠Alibaba sued the U.S. Department ‌of Defense for designations including saying it was a "Chinese military company," according ​to a court filing ⁠on Tuesday.

"The determinations ⁠have no basis in fact or ⁠law," ‌Alibaba said in its lawsuit. "Alibaba is governed ⁠by an independentboard, none of whom ​has ‌any military affiliation."

"Its products and ⁠services are ​built for retail, logistics, and enterprise information technology—not weapons, defense, ⁠or intelligence," the company ​said.

The U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a ⁠request for comment.

The United States in June added Alibaba, internet search provider Baidu, and automakers BYD ​and NIO to ⁠a list of companies it ​believes are aiding ‌Beijing's military.

(Reporting by Susan ​Heavey, Michelle Nichols, Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chris Reese)

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