Asia Tech Wire (Oct 21) -- Chinese drone maker DJI sued the U.S. Department of Defense on Friday for putting it on a list of companies suspected of working with the Chinese military.

The U.S. Department of Defense placed DJI on a list of Chinese military companies (CMCs) in October 2022, prohibiting U.S. companies from doing business with Chinese companies on the list.

DJI filed the lawsuit in a Washington district court through the U.S. law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul, Weiss).

In a 56-page complaint, DJI detailed the irrationality of the U.S. Department of Defense's inclusion of it on the CMC list, as well as its practices that violate U.S. law.

DJI says said it is neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military and sells only consumer and commercial drones.

The company insists that it strives to promote the adoption and innovation of civilian drone products and opposes their use for military purposes.

The complaint also reveals that DJI, through outside legal counsel, attempted to communicate with the U.S. Department of Defense over a period of more than 16 months.

However, the U.S. Department of Defense continued to refuse to engage in meaningful communication, refused to provide reasons for the allegations, and ignored DJI's requests for meetings.

DJI stated that the U.S. Department of Defense re-designated it as a MIC on January 31, 2024, without receiving a notification form.

According to the complaint, DJI has suffered ongoing financial and reputational harm as a result of the MIC designation.