CXMT sues Pentagon over inclusion on US military-backed companies list

ChangXin Memory Technologies, better known as CXMT, has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense over its inclusion on the Pentagon’s list of Chinese military-affiliated companies. The move follows a familiar playbook now being adopted by major Chinese tech firms facing a designation that, while stopping short of an outright ban, carries serious reputational and commercial consequences. CXMT was reinstated to the Section 1260H list on June 8, 2026, alongside fellow chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies and a handful of other firms. The company had been briefly removed from the list in February before being added back, a reversal that appeared to accelerate its decision to pursue legal action. What the 1260H list actually means The Section 1260H list is a roster maintained by the Pentagon of companies it considers to be operating in support of, or on behalf of, China’s military. It does not ban private-sector transactions, but it restricts US government agencies and their defense contractors from doing business with listed entities. CXMT is not the first Chinese firm to decide that litigation is a better response than quiet acceptance. Yangtze Memory Technologies filed i...