The Pentagon concluded that Alibaba, Baidu and BYD should be added to a list of companies that aid the Chinese military, according to a letter to Congress sent roughly three weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to a broad trade truce.

Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg informed lawmakers of the conclusion in the Oct. 7 letter to the heads of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

It wasn¡¯t clear whether the companies have been formally included in the the Pentagon¡¯s so-called 1260H list, which carries no direct legal repercussions but serves as a major warning to U.S. investors.