The US has added several Chinese technology companies, including gaming and social media giant Tencent and battery maker CATL, to a list of businesses it says work with China's military.

The list serves as a warning to American companies and organisations about the risks of doing business with Chinese entities.

While inclusion does not mean an immediate ban, it can add pressure on the US Treasury Department to sanction the firms.

Tencent and CATL have denied involvement with the Chinese military, while Beijing said the decision amounted to "unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies".

The Department of Defense's (DOD) list of Chinese military companies, which is formally known as the Section 1260H list, is updated annually and now includes 134 firms.

It is part of Washington's approach to counteracting what it sees as Beijing's efforts to increase its military power by using technology from Chinese firms, universities and research programmes.

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