By Michael Martina, David Shepardson and Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) -The U.S. Defense Department said on Monday it has added Chinese tech giants including gaming and social media leader Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL to a list of firms it says work with China's military.

While the Chinese internet giant Tencent is best-known for its super-app WeChat, it’s also a major investor in U.S. tech companies and startups. Some of

NEW YORK - The United States has blacklisted Tencent Holdings and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) for alleged links to the Chinese military, targeting the world’s biggest gaming publisher and top electric-vehicle battery maker in a surprise move weeks before Donald Trump takes office.

The US Defense Department has added Chinese tech giant Tencent and battery manufacturer CATL to a list of companies it says are affiliated with

Chinese companies on the US blacklist will find it more difficult to trade with US companies. Inclusion on the list is "clearly a mistake", according to Tencent.

Other Chinese companies added to the list included battery maker CATL, which is part of the supply chain for automakers like Ford and Tesla.

The US Department of Defense has classified Tencent, a major investor in several big video game companies, as a Chinese military company. The report from Bloomberg states that Tencent alongside battery maker CATL have been added to a list that classifies them as Chinese military companies.