Alibaba sues US Department of Defense for branding it a 'Chinese military company'

Alibaba has sued the US Department of Defense, claiming its designation as a "Chinese military company" has no basis in fact or law.

Chinese ‌tech and ​e-commerce giant Alibaba sued the U.S. Department of ‌Defense for designations including saying it was a "Chinese military company," according to a court filing ‌on Tuesday. "The determinations have no basis in ‌fact or law," Alibaba said in its lawsuit. "Alibaba is governed by an independent board, none of ⁠whom ​has ⁠any military affiliation." "Its products and services are built ⁠for retail, logistics, and enterprise information technology—not weapons, ​defense, or intelligence," the company said. The U.S. ⁠Department of Defense did not immediately respond ⁠to ​a request for comment. The United States in June added Alibaba, internet search provider ⁠Baidu, and automakers BYD and NIO to a list ⁠of ⁠companies it believes are aiding Beijing's military.