The U.S. Defense Department has added dozens of Chinese companies, including games and technology company Tencent, artificial intelligence firm SenseTime and the world's biggest battery maker CATL, to a list of companies it says have ties to China's military.

CATL is licensing its battery technology to Ford for its planned $3.5 billion battery plant. News of CATL being added to the list slashed its market value by roughly $4.4 billion. CATL, the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of EV batteries,

The United States has labeled additional Chinese tech and social media firms as Beijing military companies, including multimedia firm Tencent and battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, better known as CATL.

The U.S. Defense Department said on Monday it has added Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL to a list of companies it says work with China's military, in a move set to escalate U.

The Defense Department has released a list of Chinese companies operating in the U.S which it believes are working to advance Beijing's military-strategic aims. The Pentagon revealed on Tuesday that 134 "Chinese military companies"—57 firms and 77 subsidiaries—were operating "directly or indirectly in the United States.

The Defense Department added video game maker Tencent Holdings to its "blacklist" of companies doing business in the U.S. while allegedly aiding the Chinese military.

The Pentagon on Monday added a number of well-known Chinese businesses to a list of companies it identifies as military in nature, including some of the country’s largest internet, battery, science and shipping firms.