By Stephen Nellis
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 19 (Reuters) - A group of nine U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth this week 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 already 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 sanction Chinese firms, it sends a message to suppliers to the Department of War 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.
Trump has ordered the Defense Department to rename itself the Department of War, a change that will require action by Congress.
Reuters in June reported a senior U.S. official as saying 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 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 Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan; Sen. Rick Scott of Florida; Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas; Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York; Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia; Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan; Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota; Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois and Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee.
(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco, Editing by William Maclean)
((stephen.nellis@thomsonreuters.com))