Why Electric Cars And Robot Makers Are Being Linked To China’s Military

The Pentagon has expanded a list of Chinese companies it says are linked to Beijing’s military, adding some of the country’s best-known technology and consumer brands and potentially paving the way for future investment restrictions and sanctions. The updated roster, released under a congressional mandate established in 2021, identifies 188 entities that the U.S. Department of Defense considers part of or supportive of China’s military-industrial ecosystem. The list now includes major companies such as Alibaba, BYD and robotics firm Unitree—businesses that are neither state-owned nor traditionally associated with the defense sector. There is growing concern in Washington over China’s military…