The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is facing fresh scrutiny over one of its global technology partners after the Pentagon added Alibaba to its list of companies it says are linked to China’s military.
Alibaba, one of China’s largest technology and e-commerce companies, is listed by LA28 as a Worldwide E-Commerce Platform Partner for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games. The International Olympic Committee has also promoted Alibaba as a long-term Olympic partner since 2017, describing the company as part of the movement’s digital transformation strategy.
But the partnership is now drawing renewed attention after the U.S. Department of Defense placed Alibaba on its Section 1260H list of “Chinese military companies” operating directly or indirectly in the United States. Reuters and AP reported that the updated Pentagon list also includes major Chinese companies such as BYD, Baidu and others, reflecting Washington’s growing concern that China’s private technology sector can support Beijing’s military modernization through military-civil fusion.
The designation does not automatically impose full sanctions on Alibaba. However, it blocks direct Pentagon contracts with the listed companies and can carry major reputational consequences. It may also increase pressure on U.S. businesses, local governments and major event organizers to reconsider partnerships involving companies Washington considers national security risks.
TRENDING TODAY
Alibaba has denied the Pentagon’s claims. The company said it is not a Chinese military company and is not part of China’s military-civil fusion strategy. It also said it would pursue available legal options to challenge what it called misrepresentation of its business.
The LA28 issue is especially sensitive because the Games will be held on U.S. soil. The Olympics will involve massive amounts of data, digital infrastructure, ticketing, e-commerce, venue operations, logistics and communications. Any technology partner tied to those systems can quickly become a national security concern.
LA28’s website continues to list Alibaba as a Worldwide E-Commerce Platform Partner. The page says Alibaba’s digital tools and platforms help businesses reach consumers globally and describes its role in the Olympic and Paralympic movement.
At the same time, LA28 has already moved some critical digital responsibilities toward a U.S. partner. Google announced in October 2025 that it had joined LA28 as a Founding Partner and would provide Google Search, Google Cloud and AI tools such as Gemini to support the Games, Team USA and NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage.
That Google deal was welcomed by China hawks in Congress, who had warned against giving Alibaba access to sensitive Olympic data or infrastructure. Lawmakers on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party have argued that Chinese firms can be compelled under Chinese law to cooperate with Beijing’s security and intelligence services.
Rep. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, has previously warned that American companies and institutions should avoid partnerships that could give Chinese firms access to sensitive data, infrastructure or technology. After the Pentagon’s updated list, he said the designation should serve as a warning to U.S. businesses and governments.
The concern is not only Alibaba’s Olympic role. U.S. officials and lawmakers have for years raised broader questions about Chinese technology companies and the Chinese Communist Party’s military-civil fusion strategy. That strategy aims to erase barriers between civilian commercial technology and military development.
Supporters of tougher restrictions argue that companies such as Alibaba may appear commercial but still operate inside a Chinese system where state, party and military priorities can shape corporate behavior. They say that risk is especially serious for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data processing and digital platforms.
Critics of the Pentagon list argue that Washington is expanding national security labels too broadly and using them to punish Chinese companies without clear public evidence. China’s government has called similar U.S. actions discriminatory and politically motivated. Alibaba’s denial is likely to become part of a wider fight over whether the company belongs on the list.
The Olympics adds another layer. The Games are not only a sports event. They are one of the world’s largest logistical and digital operations, involving athletes, spectators, sponsors, broadcasters, volunteers, security agencies and local infrastructure.
If Alibaba’s role is limited to e-commerce, LA28 and the IOC may argue that the security risk is manageable, especially with Google handling key search, cloud and AI functions. But critics are likely to ask whether any Chinese company listed by the Pentagon should remain a major Olympic partner for an event hosted in the United States.
The IOC has historically relied on global sponsors to finance and operate major parts of the Olympic movement. Alibaba’s Olympic partnership dates back to 2017 and runs through the 2028 Games. The company has been described by the IOC as an official cloud services and e-commerce platform partner, as well as a founding partner of the Olympic Channel.
That long-term relationship now collides with a changing geopolitical environment. When Alibaba became an Olympic partner, U.S.-China tensions were lower than they are today. Since then, concerns over data security, supply chains, surveillance, AI and military technology have become central issues in Washington.
LA28, the IOC and Alibaba may face new pressure to clarify exactly what Alibaba will and will not do for the 2028 Games. Lawmakers may ask whether Alibaba will have access to user data, ticketing systems, payments, vendor information, venue systems or other sensitive digital infrastructure.
The Pentagon designation also creates a public-relations problem. Even if Alibaba’s Olympic role is narrow, the phrase “Chinese military company” is politically powerful. It gives critics a simple argument: a company labeled by the Pentagon as tied to China’s military should not be connected to an Olympics hosted in Los Angeles.
For LA28, the safest path may be transparency. Organizers could explain which services Alibaba provides, whether any sensitive data is involved, how U.S. partners such as Google are handling core digital operations, and what safeguards are in place.
For now, the situation remains unresolved. Alibaba is still listed as an LA28 worldwide partner. Google is also a major LA28 technology partner. The Pentagon has added Alibaba to a national security watchlist. And lawmakers are likely to keep asking whether the Olympic movement can separate global sponsorship from U.S. security concerns.
The 2028 Olympics are meant to showcase Los Angeles and the United States to the world. But the Alibaba controversy shows that the Games will also unfold inside a much larger contest between Washington and Beijing over technology, data and power.
Why It Matters
This matters because the 2028 Olympics will be held in the United States and will depend on major digital systems, data flows and global sponsors. A Pentagon designation involving a key Olympic partner raises serious questions about cybersecurity, data access and foreign influence.
It also matters because the case reflects a broader U.S.-China technology fight. Washington increasingly views Chinese tech giants as potential extensions of Beijing’s military and surveillance ecosystem, while Chinese companies deny those claims and argue they are being unfairly targeted.
What Comes Next
LA28 and the IOC may face pressure from Congress to clarify Alibaba’s exact role in the 2028 Games. Lawmakers could ask whether Alibaba will have access to ticketing, e-commerce, user data, payments or infrastructure connected to the event.
Alibaba may also challenge its Pentagon designation, while U.S. officials continue expanding scrutiny of Chinese firms tied to cloud computing, AI, e-commerce and military-civil fusion concerns.
BYD, Alibaba, Baidu Helping Chinese Military? Pentagon Says So | Vantage on Firstpost with @SaroyaHem pic.twitter.com/nZg2jxsB6p
— Firstpost (@firstpost) June 9, 2026
