Alibaba sued the U.S. Department of Defense on Tuesday in a federal court in San Jose, California, seeking to have its designation as a "Chinese military company" revoked. In the complaint, Alibaba stated that the U.S. government's claim linking it to China's military is "without factual or legal basis," emphasizing that the company is governed by an independent board of directors, none of whom have military backgrounds. Its products and services are focused on retail, logistics, and enterprise IT—rather than weapons, defense, or intelligence applications. In early June, the U.S. added Alibaba to a list of companies accused of assisting China’s military, alongside other Chinese firms such as BYD and Baidu. The latter immediately announced plans to take legal action, asserting that they are neither Chinese military enterprises nor part of any military-civil fusion strategy. China’s embassy in the United States criticized the designation as "discriminatory," stating that Chinese companies operating overseas have consistently complied with local laws and regulations, and urged the U.S. to stop its erroneous practices and create a fair, impartial, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868858710409225/
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