Alibaba sues Pentagon to remove it from military blacklist

Investing.com -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense on Tuesday to remove itself from a blacklist that identifies the company as a supporter of the Chinese military.

The Hangzhou-based e-commerce company filed the lawsuit in federal court in San Jose, California. Alibaba argued that the Pentagon added it to the list without providing substantial evidence or explanation. The company said the decision violates constitutional due process and its right to free speech.

The Department of Defense earlier this month accused several major Chinese companies of aiding the People's Liberation Army, including Alibaba, Baidu Inc., and BYD Co. The Pentagon's 1260H list also includes chipmakers ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc. and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., as well as robotics developer Unitree Robotics, designated as Hangzhou Yushu Technology Co., Ltd.

Tencent Holdings Ltd., China's leading games and social media company, was added to the list last year.

Alibaba said it has engaged with the Pentagon for months over the designation, dating back to at least February when the Defense Department briefly posted a version of the blacklist before withdrawing it minutes later without explanation. The company said it presented detailed evidence that it does not support the PLA, answered questions, and submitted a written response. Alibaba said the department never replied to its submissions.

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