The Department of Defense released an updated blacklist with more than a dozen new Chinese companies on it, including memory chip maker YMTC, artificial intelligence company Megvii, LiDAR maker Hesai Technology and tech company NetPosa.
New additions to the list, first reported by Reuters, were posted on the Department of Defense website January 31. Under the 2024 NDAA , this will prevent the U.S. military and its contractors from using Hesai LiDAR, beginning in 2026. LiDAR is a critical technology used in autonomous systems, like self-driving cars and automated manufacturing equipment, that is currently not subject to U.S. government procurement restrictions.
Section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry NDAA for FY21 (Pub. L. 116–283) directs the Secretary of Defense to continue to list “Chinese military companies” (CMCs) annually until December 31, 2030.
In November, members of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party wrote to the Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, urging the Department to investigate PRC Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology companies and whether their activities justify inclusion on the DoD's “Chinese Military Companies List.” At the time, the Committee also called for the designation of dronemaker Autel Robotics, which was not included in the list.
“We are encouraged by DoD’s recognition of the national security and data security risks posed by PRC LiDAR in our defense platforms,” said Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-CA), in a statement. “This is critical to ensuring our defense industrial base and supply chains remain free of foreign adversary technologies. We urge the Pentagon to expeditiously update the list to include additional firms that aid the People’s Liberation Army, like Autel drones, on its list of Chinese military companies.”
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