On Jan. 6, the US Department of Defense added several Chinese tech companies, including Tencent, CATL, SenseTime, and CloudWalk, to its Chinese Military Companies List (CMC List) under Section 1260H, according to Chinese media outlet Jiemian. In response, the affected companies issued statements disputing the categorization. Tencent stated on Jan. 7 that its inclusion on the list was a mistake, emphasizing that it is not a defense contractor or supplier to the military. The company confirmed the list would not impact its business and promised to work with US authorities to resolve the issue. CATL also rejected the US designation, stating it has never participated in military-related activities. The company noted that the list would not affect its business relationships outside the US Department of Defense. AI company SenseTime called the decision baseless. The move primarily prevents listed entities from becoming suppliers to the US Department of Defense, but SenseTime emphasized it would not impact its operations. CloudWalk similarly denied the allegations, calling the listing speculative and without evidence. The company also asserted that its inclusion on the list would not affect its business. [Jiemian]
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