This has led to new criticism of the Ford Motor Company's relationship with CATL. Ford plans to license CATL's technology at the BlueOval EV battery plant it's building in Marshall. The Defense Department publishes a list of "Chinese military companies" annually, in accordance with federal law.

Ford has a licensing agreement to manufacture electric vehicle batteries with technology from a Chinese company that's under scrutiny at the Pentagon.

The U.S. Defense Department added CATL and Tencent Holdings, to its annual list of companies alleged to have ties to China's military.

The Pentagon's running list of companies with ties to the Chinese military now includes CATL, an integral partner to some U.S. automakers.

While the designation currently imposes no direct sanctions, it does intend to warn US companies about potential security risks in collaborating with firms.

The Defense Department has added dozens of Chinese firms to a list of companies that are prohibited from working with the Pentagon and defense industry due to their alleged ties with China’s

The world’s largest supplier of EV battery cells says it's "a mistake."

The Pentagon recently added Tesla’s battery suppliers, Contemporary Amperex Technology, and Tencent to its list of companies with ties to the Chinese military. While the designation has minimal direct business impact,