US lawmakers send letter to Pentagon demanding ‘ban’ on DeepSeek, Xiaomi and 15 other Chinese tech companies: Full list

A group of 9 high-ranking US lawmakers has urged the Department of War (The Pentagon) to blacklist a total of 17 prominent Chinese technology firms, including DeepSeek – the company that stunned global tech sector with the launch of its R1 model in January 2025, and smartphone giant Xiaomi – a major tech players, specifically in the smartphone market, in countries like China and India. In a letter addressed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers urged the Pentagon to add these companies to the 1260H list, which is a roster of entities identified as “Chinese military-linked”. The list aims to prevent US taxpayer dollars from funding Beijing’s military.The letter argues that these companies represent the “next logical tranche” of contributors to China’s military-civil fusion strategy. These lawmakers include: “The firms listed below represent military-civil fusion contributors central to PLA modernization, internal-security operations, and power-projection capabilities. Their designation under Section 1260H would directly support Congress’ intent that U.S. taxpayer funds not underwrite PRC military-industrial and internal-security or intelligence capabilities,” the letter said.The petition covers a broad spectrum of critical technologies, from AI to robotics and semiconductors, and even biotechnology.Biotech, Genomics, and Life Sciences ManufacturingSensing, Surveillance, Robotics, and Embodied AIConsumer Smart-Device EcosystemsLarge-Scale Artificial Intelligence Model DevelopersDisplay and Imaging ComponentsSemiconductors, Advanced Materials, and Manufacturing EquipmentPower Batteries & Energy Storage