Drone maker challenges ‘Chinese military company’ label in US Court

By Anadolu staff

Chinese drone maker DJI has filed an appeal in a US federal court against a ruling that upheld its inclusion on the Pentagon’s blacklist of alleged “Chinese military companies,” state-run media reported Tuesday.

In October 2024, DJI filed a lawsuit with the US district court in the District of Columbia, challenging the US Department of Defense’s decision to designate it as a “Chinese Military Company” (CMC), according to Global Times.

However, last month, the US court rejected DJI’s request to be removed from the list.

DJI said it “disagrees with and does not accept” the ruling and has therefore filed an appeal to “resolutely defend the company’s reputation and interests.”

“DJI has always firmly opposed the use of our products and technologies for any military or war purposes and has taken comprehensive measures to prevent such misuse,” the company said in a statement.

In 2022, the US Department of Defense first placed the company on its CMC list and continued to keep it on the updated list released in January 2024.