In addition to owning the popular messaging app WeChat, Tencent is a big name in the gaming industry as it owns League of Legends developer Riot Games and has invested in many othersincluding Epic Games, Larian Studios, Ubisoft and FromSoftware. Meanwhile, CATL is the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries, and its products appear in electric vehicles from Tesla, Ford, Volkswagen, BMW and more.
These companies don’t always remain on the Defense Department’s list, as the US removed Chinese phone maker Xiaomi just months after adding it in 2021. Both Tencent and CATL plan to reject the designations. “We are not a company or a military supplier,” Tencent spokesperson Danny Marti said in a statement to The edge. “Unlike sanctions or export controls, this listing has no impact on our business. However, we will work with the Department of Defense to address any misunderstandings.” CATL said similarly Bloomberg that its inclusion was “clearly a mistake.”
The edge He contacted CATL for comment but did not immediately receive a response.