Nine Republican members of Congress in the US have requested that the Pentagon blacklist four critical China-based companies, including technology giant Xiaomi and AI startup DeepSeek, on the grounds that they provide support to the Chinese military. In a formal letter sent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, they requested that Xiaomi, DeepSeek, display manufacturer BOE Technology, and robotics firm Unitree Robotics be added to the list of Chinese military companies known as “Section 1260H.”

Are Xiaomi and DeepSeek providing support to China?

This request comes shortly after US President Donald Trump signed a massive military spending package worth approximately $1 trillion into law. Republican lawmakers argue that these companies are part of China’s military-civilian fusion strategy and pose a risk to US national security.

Inclusion in Section 1260H, which already includes giants like Tencent and battery manufacturer CATL, does not directly mean a trade sanction or ban for the companies in question. However, this list sets the course for the Pentagon and other federal agencies to follow when doing business with these companies, serving as a kind of official warning.

The list, which results in the US military excluding these companies from its supply chain and government agencies avoiding their products, jeopardizes the prestige of these brands in the global market and their operations in the US. In particular, BOE Technology, one of Apple’s most important display suppliers, is targeted for complete removal from all Pentagon procurement processes by 2030.

Xiaomi quickly responded to this move by US lawmakers with a statement denying all allegations. The company emphasized that it has no ties to the Chinese military and develops consumer electronics products entirely for civilian use. Xiaomi management continues to define itself as a “consumer products company,” stating that the accusations of being connected to a military organization are untrue.

However, reports have previously surfaced regarding DeepSeek, a rapidly rising company in the field of artificial intelligence, alleging that it provided technological support to the Chinese military and circumvented US export restrictions. Unitree, a robotics company, has been on Washington’s radar for some time due to concerns that its four-legged robots could be used for military purposes.