Chinese biotech enterprise WuXi AppTec Co said it has filed a complaint at the US District Court for the District of Columbia against the US Department of Defense (DoD) on Thursday, saying that the US DoD's decision to add it to a list of entities allegedly supporting China's military is "erroneous and unsupported by the facts or the legal criteria under the applicable statutes and case law."

According to the company's filing with the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX) on Thursday night, the company has asked the US court, among others, to declare that the DoD's designation of WuXi AppTec as a CMC is null, void and with no force and effect, vacate and set aside the designation of WuXi AppTec as a CMC, and remove WuXi AppTec from the US' Section 1260H list.

On Friday, Chinese biotech company BGI Group also refuted the US accusations. "Statements alleging BGI Group is controlled by the Chinese government or military are false. BGI is privately owned, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and with research results shared with the world through numerous papers published in the most renowned scientific journals," the company told the Global Times on Friday.

As a leading global life sciences organization, BGI Group works with partners around the world, including in the US, to make vital contributions to world health research, medical breakthroughs, and disease fighting, the company said. "We are committed to enhancing health outcomes worldwide. This was, is, and always will be the company's mission," it stressed.

"It is necessary for Chinese companies to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests through legal means in the US - not only because this is an imperative to protect their legitimate commercial interests, but also because it demonstrates to the international market their transparency, and helps counter the overstretched narrative surrounding 'national security' concerns," He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Friday.

The US' move violates WTO rules and abuses the concept of national security in a bid to suppress China's cutting-edge technologies and maintain its own technological hegemony, He Weiwen said.

In recent years, a number of Chinese technology companies have been added to the US DoD's list. Some of these companies have actively resorted to legal proceedings to protect their legitimate rights and interests, according to media reports.

In January 2021, Xiaomi was added to the list by the DoD. After nearly four months of litigation, the US District Court for the District of Columbia issued a final order on May 25, 2021, vacating the DoD's designation of Xiaomi as a "Chinese military company," according to Xiaomi's filing with HKEX.

In response to the US' move of putting several Chinese technology companies including Alibaba, Tencent, BYD on a list of firms that it says aid China's military, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian recently said that China firmly opposes the US overstretching the concept of national security and formulating various types of discriminatory lists to go after Chinese businesses.

"We urge the US to correct its wrongdoings, and stop the unwarranted suppression of Chinese businesses. China will do what is necessary to firmly protect their legitimate and lawful rights and interests," Lin said.