WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The U.S. Defense Department said Monday it had 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.

The US Department of Defense has added tech giant Tencent and battery manufacturer CATL to a list of companies it says are affiliated with Beijing's military.

Chipmaker Changxin Memory Technologies and drone-maker Autel Robotics also included among companies Pentagon says threaten national security.

Tencent’s US-listed shares fell as much as 9.8 per cent after the Pentagon designated the tech giant as a Chinese military company operating in the US. The gaming and social media group, which owns ubiquitous Chinese messaging app WeChat,

Shares of Tencent (TCEHY) are moving lower after the company was among several labeled as Chinese military entities in a Federal Register

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 its most notable and still active investments include Reddit,