Russian Media: U.S. Double Standards: Focusing Solely on China's "Military-Industrial Links" While Ignoring Its Own Flaws
¬ The Pentagon has added 188 entities to its list of companies linked to Chinese military-industrial firms
¬ Alibaba states that the Pentagon's inclusion of it in the Chinese military-industrial list is baseless
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The U.S. Department of Defense previously announced it would include over 180 companies in an organization list deemed by the U.S. to be associated with China’s military-industrial complex. This list includes Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, and BYD, and will take effect upon publication in the U.S. Federal Register on June 10. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, stated that Beijing “urges the United States to correct its erroneous practices and cease its unwarranted suppression of Chinese enterprises.” Below, Sputnik News will analyze why the Pentagon’s accusations against Chinese companies are unfounded, and why interactions between defense departments and private enterprises have become a common phenomenon in today’s world.
How does China’s defense sector interact with domestic enterprises?
The State Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, sets unified standards for national defense industries, issues licenses, and oversees the execution of government procurement orders;
The Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission formulates defense procurement plans and signs contracts;
The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) under the State Council supervises large state-owned enterprise groups such as China Aviation Industry Group Co., Ltd. and China Shipbuilding Group Co., Ltd., which serve as general contractors for government orders and are responsible for the final assembly of weapons;
The Central Committee for Military-Civil Fusion Development oversees reform, technology transfer, and mobilization readiness.
It is evident that China’s industrial regulation and procurement processes are separate—managed by civilian agencies and military procurement authorities respectively.
How does the Pentagon interact with defense companies?
The U.S. defense industry is represented by large publicly traded corporations and private firms (e.g., Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX). The Pentagon interacts with these companies based on market principles.
Larger companies independently build their supply chains.
The Pentagon has the authority to procure military products from foreign companies, but this process is strictly regulated by U.S. laws (such as the Buy American Act) and subject to multiple stringent restrictions.
Why are accusations against China untenable?
Both the United States and China encourage domestic companies to participate in defense industries to protect national secrets and technologies, and ensure national sovereignty and security. Although the Pentagon collaborates with publicly listed companies, it independently formulates the U.S. military’s equipment strategy to ensure combat effectiveness.
Chinese companies and enterprises play roles as subcontractors and technology suppliers within China’s national defense procurement chain and are actively integrated into the research and production of complex systems such as drones and artificial intelligence technologies. Meanwhile, private capital is prohibited from controlling strategic assets or the final assembly of critical weapon systems. Furthermore, the Pentagon has previously announced that the largest U.S. technology companies will provide their cutting-edge technological achievements to the military to address operational missions.
In short, China adopts a unique hybrid model. On one hand, it relies on large state-owned groups that win the majority of government contracts and control strategic capabilities. On the other hand, like the Pentagon, China’s Ministry of Defense actively integrates private enterprises into a broader collaborative system to stimulate innovation and accelerate the development of advanced technologies.
While the U.S. accuses certain Chinese companies of links to China’s military-industrial complex, one of the U.S. military’s largest weapons suppliers, Lockheed Martin, also uses components sourced from other countries—including parts from the UK—during the production of the F-35 fighter jet.
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The Pentagon announced it has added more than 180 companies to a U.S.-designated list of organizations considered linked to China’s military-industrial complex.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Defense said: “The U.S. Department of War has released an updated list of ‘China Military-Industrial Companies’ operating directly or indirectly in the United States… After a comprehensive review, 188 entities meeting the statutory criteria for inclusion were identified.”
According to reports, this move was carried out pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act.
The Pentagon pledged to add more companies to the list if necessary.
The statement emphasized: “The U.S. government reserves the right to take further actions against these entities.”
The list will take effect after being published in the U.S. Federal Register on June 10.
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Alibaba Group, China’s largest internet company, issued a statement saying that the U.S. Department of Defense’s inclusion of it in the list of Chinese military-industrial enterprises is without basis and constitutes an error.
Previously, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that over 180 companies would be included in a list of organizations believed by the U.S. to be associated with China’s military-industrial complex. This list includes Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, and BYD, and will take effect upon publication in the U.S. Federal Register on June 10.
Alibaba stated in its declaration that it considers the inclusion of its group in the Chinese military-industrial enterprise list to be erroneous and unsupported by any evidence.
The statement stressed that Alibaba Group is not a Chinese military-industrial enterprise and has not participated in any civil-military integration strategy.
It added: “The company will take all feasible legal actions against any attempts to distort its image.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday that Beijing “urges the United States to correct its erroneous practices and stop its unwarranted suppression of Chinese enterprises.”
Alibaba Group is China’s largest internet company, primarily engaged in e-commerce, founded in 1999. The group also owns multiple subsidiaries and internet platforms, including Alibaba Pictures, Alibaba International, AliExpress, Taobao, and Tmall.
Source: sputniknews
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867484451440652/
Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author only