Chinese internet giant Tencent insisted it is not a military supplier after the US Department of Defence (DoD) added it to a list of companies suspected of working with the Chinese military, a move it said was clearly a mistake, Reuters reported.

In a statement, Tencent noted it would work with relevant US departments to “resolve the misunderstanding”, adding unlike export controls, the listing has no impact on its business.

Other Chinese companies added to the list include battery maker CATL, chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies and drone maker Autel Robotics, Reuters wrote.

CATL is a major supplier for EV makers Tesla and Stellantis and also called the designation a mistake.

The listing by the DoD is the latest move by the US government to thwart the country’s self-sufficiency efforts, arguing China seeks to dominate domestic and global markets in the chip industry through anti-competitive and non-market means.

Over the last five years, the US has added hundreds of Chinese companies to a sanction list and imposed various export restrictions on suppliers of advanced chips and manufacturing equipment to companies in the nation. 

Days after the US widened export controls in early December, a Chinese regulator opened a probe into Nvidia for allegedly violating anti-monopoly laws and the Ministry of Commerce banned the export of a number of strategic minerals.