The United States has included Tencent in its roster of companies purportedly linked to the Chinese military

January 8, 2025 Update: Tencent has issued an additional statement addressing the recent designation by the United States Department of Defense.

Tencent's statement asserts that the company is neither affiliated with the Chinese military nor involved in the military-civil fusion system that supports China's defense sector, labeling the Department's decision as erroneous.

Tencent plans to engage in a formal review process to correct what it sees as a mistake. The company will collaborate with the Department of Defense to clarify any misinterpretations and is prepared to take legal action if required to be removed from the list.

Report from January 7, 2025: Tencent has been added to a list of companies the US Department of Defense suspects have ties to China's military operations.

According to a Bloomberg report, Tencent views this categorization as an error.

Danny Marti, a representative for Tencent, stated, "We do not operate as a military business or provider. This listing carries no impact on our operations similar to sanctions or export restrictions. We are committed to resolving any misconceptions with the Department of Defense."

The list is an outcome of a directive from a 2020 executive order by then-President-elect Donald Trump, which restricts American firms from investing in enterprises perceived to be linked to China's military.

Tencent, the largest gaming entity globally, owns several companies, including Riot Games, Inflexion Games, Funcom, and Sharkmob, and holds minority shares in notable developers such as Epic Games, FromSoftware, Remedy, Larian Studios, and Bloober Team.