Alibaba Files Lawsuit Against Pentagon Seeking Removal From Military List

By Tracy Qu

Alibaba Group filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense in a San Jose federal court on Tuesday, seeking to be removed from a list of companies with alleged ties to China's military.

In a statement on Wednesday, an Alibaba spokesperson denied any connection to the Chinese military or a military-civil fusion strategy, calling the Pentagon's decision "arbitrary and capricious."

The Defense Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside of office hours.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon updated its list of Chinese businesses that the U.S. has identified as aiding Beijing's military. The designation was expanded to around two dozen new companies, including Alibaba and fellow tech giant Baidu, limiting their operations in America.

Alibaba, Baidu and several other firms said at the time that they didn't belong on the list and were weighing actions to get removed from it.

While inclusion on the list can limit a company's ability to operate in America, Citi analysts say the impact on Alibaba and Baidu may be limited as neither has direct business exposure to Department of Defense.

Write to Tracy Qu at tracy.qu@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 23, 2026 22:51 ET (02:51 GMT)