A USfederal judge on Monday grantedAlibaba Group Holding’s request for a preliminary injunction, ordering the US government not to deny Pentagon contracts to companies because they, their parent companies or subsidiaries do business with firms that engage in lobbying activities for the e-commerce giant. The ruling hands the Chinese technology company a meaningful procedural victory in its broader effort to contest its placement on a Pentagon list of entities allegedly aiding China’s military, a designation that has complicated its relationships with American partners and suppliers. Alibaba sued the US government in June after the Pentagon added it to a list of companies allegedly aiding China’s military, alongside internet search provider Baidu, EV maker BYD and other major Chinese manufacturing and technology firms. The designation does not impose formal sanctions, but it restricts Pentagon contracts with listed companies and, from 2027, purchases of their products or services through third parties. For a company of Alibaba’s scale, even indirect procurement restrictions carry weight, since they can ripple through supply chains and prompt cautious counterparties to distance themselves well before any formal prohibition takes effect.