China’s Hesai to keep challenging Pentagon’s blacklist decision

The US Department of Defence is reinstating the Chinese lidar maker in its blacklist, reversing an earlier decision

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Hesai makes lidars used in self-driving cars and driver-assistance systems. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:18am, 25 Oct 2024

Hesai Group on Thursday said it plans to continue its legal process against the US after the Pentagon reinstated the lidar manufacturer on its blacklist of Chinese firms allegedly working with Beijing’s military.

The US Justice Department said in a court filing last week that the Pentagon removed Hesai from the blacklist, but planned to relist the Chinese company “based on the latest information available”.

Hesai, whose lidars help self-driving cars and driver-assistance systems gain a three-dimensional map of the road, was added to the list by the US Department of Defence in January along with more than a dozen other firms. The company sued the US government in May after it was added to the blacklist.

Hesai’s products are “strictly for commercial and civilian use” and it has no connection “to the Chinese military or any other military body”, the company told Reuters in an emailed statement. The lawsuit was a continuation of the ongoing legal process and the company will continue the proceedings to “correct these mistakes”, it added.

The US Department of Defence declined to comment.

Being placed on the so-called 1260H list represents a warning to US entities and companies about the national security risks of conducting business with them.