US lawmakers urge Pentagon to add DeepSeek, Xiaomi to list of firms allegedly aiding Chinese military

(Updates December 19 story to add Xiaomi statement, paragraphs 5-6) By Stephen Nellis SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - A group of nine U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urging the Pentagon to add a slew of Chinese technology firms to a list of entities allegedly assisting the Chinese military. The letter, sent late on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a $1 trillion must-pass military spending bill into law, asks Hegseth to place AI firm DeepSeek, smartphone maker Xiaomi and electronic display maker BOE Technology Group on what is known as the Section 1260H list. That list includes major Chinese firms such as Tencent Holdings, one of China’s largest tech companies, and CATL, a major battery maker in the electric vehicle industry. While the 1260H list does not formally impose sanctions on Chinese firms, it sends a message to suppliers to the Pentagon and other U.S. government agencies about the U.S. military’s opinion of the firms, some of which have sued the U.S. over their inclusion. In a statement, Xiaomi said there was no basis for putting it on the 1260H list. “Xiaomi is not a Chinese military company nor is it affiliated with any Chinese military entities,” its statement said. “The Company has always been and continues to be a consumer products company. It provides products and services for civilian and commercial use only.” Reuters in June reported a senior U.S. official had said DeepSeek aided China’s military and evaded U.S. export controls. BOE, a supplier to iPhone maker Apple, was also among a number of Chinese display firms that the U.S. lawmakers are asking the Pentagon to strip from its supply chain by 2030. The lawmakers - all Republicans and several of them the heads of key congressional committees - recommended also adding WuXi AppTec, GenScript Group, RoboSense, Livox, Unitree Robotics, CloudMinds, Hua Hong Semiconductor, Shennan Circuit Co and Kingsemi Co. The lawmakers signing the letter were Senator Rick Scott of Florida and Representatives John Moolenaar of Michigan, Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Andrew Garbarino of New York, Rob Wittman of Virginia, Bill Huizenga of Michigan, Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, Darin LaHood of Illinois and Andy Ogles of Tennessee.