A Federal judge has decided the Pentagon does not have a right to block firms from having defense contracts that lobby for Alibaba. The company rewarded in the ruling is a CCP-controlled and supporting enterprise. This ruling allows the CCP to continue to infiltrate American military procurement infrastructures.
China’s Alibaba wins court ruling over Pentagon ban that made the company fire dozens of American lobby firms
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EXCERPT:
A US federal judge has ruled that the government cannot block companies from getting Pentagon contracts simply because they work with firms that lobby for Alibaba, reports Reuters. The Chinese company sued the US government in June this year after the Pentagon added the Chinese company to a list of firms accused of helping China’s military. The list also included search engine company Baidu, electric vehicle maker BYD and other Chinese technology and manufacturing firms.
What the ruling means for Alibaba
The court’s decision allows Alibaba to continue working with Washington lobbyists who also represent companies that do business with the Pentagon. As per the report, this could help the Chinese company fight its inclusion on the US military-related list.Alibaba reportedly dropped dozens of lobbyists after the Pentagon named it in June. The company has challenged the decision, arguing that there is no evidence to support the claim that it has links to China’s military.Being on the list does not bring direct sanctions, but it can affect a company’s ability to secure Pentagon contracts.