China's commerce ministry voices opposition to Pentagon's sanctions list of companies

The Ministry of Commerce has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Pentagon's updated list of firms allegedly linked to China's military and called for its immediate withdrawal.

It urges Washington to stop its "erroneous practices," and return to the "correct track of building a constructive strategic and stable China-US relationship."

Tech giant Alibaba, search engine Baidu, automakers BYD and NIO, as well as the world's largest solar panel makers Trina Solar and JA Solar Technology are among the Chinese big names included in the sanctions list released on Monday.

Under the law, the US defense department will be barred from directly contracting with those companies and restricted from purchasing their products or services through third parties starting 2027.

The action came a month after President Xi Jinping met his US counterpart Donald Trump in Beijing.

In a statement, Beijing says the list ignores the consensus reached between the two heads of state, pledging to retaliate resolutely and forcefully if its firms are not treated fairly.