DJI appeals inclusion on Pentagon's 'Chinese military companies' list

DJI, the world's largest commercial drone manufacturer by market share, said on Tuesday that it has lodged an appeal with the United States Federal Court of Appeals, contesting a recent court ruling that upheld its inclusion on the Pentagon's list of alleged "Chinese military companies".

The company filed a lawsuit last October in the US District Court for the District of Columbia against the US Department of Defense, seeking its removal from the Pentagon's list, arguing that it is neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military.

In September, the court found that most of the US Defense Department's accusations against DJI lacked sufficient evidence. However, it still decided to keep DJI on the list.

In a statement provided to China Daily, DJI said it "disagrees with and does not accept" the ruling and has appealed to the US Federal Court of Appeals to resolutely defend the company's reputation and legitimate interests.

"DJI has always firmly opposed the use of its products and technologies for any military or war purposes and has taken comprehensive measures to prevent our products from being misused for military or war objectives," the company said.

The Shenzhen-based company was placed on the CMC list by the US Department of Defense in 2022 without any explanation. Since then, DJI has continued to seek communication with the department, hoping to understand the specific reasons for being added to the list and to submit relevant evidence, but has received no substantive response.

In January 2024, the US Department of Defense updated the list and retained DJI on the list. On Oct 18, 2024, DJI officially filed a lawsuit challenging the US Department of Defense's decision.