Chinese companies refute U.S. defense department listing

Chinese tech giant Tencent released a statement on Tuesday in response to the United States Department of Defense putting the company on the list of Chinese military-industrial companies.

"Our inclusion on this list is clearly a mistake. Tencent is neither a military enterprise nor a military supplier. Unlike export controls or other restrictions, this designation has no impact on our business operations. Nonetheless, we will engage with relevant U.S. authorities to resolve this misunderstanding," it said.

Similarly, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), another company added to what is known as the Section 1260H List, stated, "This is an error. The company has no involvement in any military-related activities."

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously underscored China's strong opposition to the U.S.'s unwarranted suppression of Chinese enterprises, stressing that such actions undermine normal economic and trade cooperation between the two nations.

(Cover: Tencent's office in Silicon Valley, California, U.S. /CFP)