Jun 24, 2026 21:20:00

Alibaba, the operator of AliExpress, has sued the U.S. Department of Defense, denying any ties to the Chinese military and demanding its removal from the blacklist.

Alibaba, a major Chinese IT company known for operating e-commerce sites such as AliExpress, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense. Alibaba strongly refutes the Department of Defense's claim that adding Alibaba to its list of 'Chinese military enterprises' is 'not true and has no legal basis.'

Alibaba sues US for being linked to Chinese military | Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/alibaba-sues-us-department-defense-branding-it-chinese-military-company-2026-06-23/

The United States lists and publishes a list of companies that directly or indirectly support China's People's Liberation Army, designating them as 'Chinese military enterprises.' While being on the list doesn't immediately mean a company has to cease operations in the U.S., it effectively functions as a blacklist, as it can prevent companies from contracting with the Department of Defense, impact their business dealings, and alienate government clients and investors.

For example, smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi was added to this list in January 2021.

The US government blacklists Xiaomi, the world's third-largest smartphone company, as a 'Chinese military company' - GIGAZINE

Subsequently, in May 2021, the case was removed from the list after an agreement was reached to reach a settlement.

Xiaomi and the US government reach a settlement; Xiaomi removed from blacklist - GIGAZINE

Alibaba is one of China's big tech companies, and the Department of Defense has long expressed its intention to add it to the list. It was added to the list once in February 2026, but was immediately removed.

The US added Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD to its 'list of companies supporting the Chinese People's Liberation Army,' but then immediately removed them - GIGAZINE

However, in June 2026, the Department of Defense finally added Alibaba to the list along with Baidu and BYD.

The US adds Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Unitree, and others to its list of companies supporting the Chinese People's Liberation Army - GIGAZINE

In response to the Department of Defense's actions, Alibaba maintained, as before, that 'there is no fact that we support China's military activities, and there is no basis for being listed.' They commented that they would 'take all legal action,' but now that they have actually been added to the list, they have decided to file a lawsuit. WuXi AppTec, a Shanghai-based company that provides contract research and development services to the confectionery and life sciences industries, which was also added to the list around the same time, has similarly filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense. Both companies are seeking to be removed from the list.

A spokesperson for the Department of Defense stated that they 'do not comment on ongoing litigation.'