Krishnamoorthi, Gallagher Applaud Inclusion of New Chinese Companies, including Hesai Technology, On DoD's Chinese Military Companies List

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued the following statement regarding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) recent inclusion of more than a dozen new People’s Republic of China (PRC) companies – including PRC LiDAR maker Hesai Technology – on its “Chinese Military Companies List”.

The move comes in response to a bipartisan letter sent by the Select Committee to the Department of Defense, urging the Department to investigate PRC Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology companies and whether their activities justify inclusion on the DoD's “Chinese Military Companies List.”

“We are encouraged by DoD’s recognition of the national security and data security risks posed by PRC LiDAR in our defense platforms,” said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi and Chairman Gallagher. “This is critical to ensuring our defense industrial base and supply chains remain free of foreign adversary technologies. We urge the Pentagon to expeditiously update the list to include additional firms that aid the People’s Liberation Army, like Autel drones, on its list of Chinese military companies.” 

On January 31, the Department of Defense released an updated list with more than a dozen new Chinese companies on it, including PRC LiDAR maker Hesai Technology. Under the 2024 NDAA , this will prevent the U.S. military and its contractors from using Hesai LiDAR, beginning in 2026. LiDAR is a critical technology used in autonomous systems, like self-driving cars and automated manufacturing equipment, that is currently not subject to U.S. government procurement restrictions.