China will likely retaliate against the U.S. if it pushes ahead with a plan to restrict American companies from doing business with 89 China entities accused of having ties to the People's Liberation Army.

The White House has a draft plan that will restrict American companies from selling their products and technologies to these 89 companies.

The list includes 28 Russian businesses and other entities. An administration source said the list of 117 companies was "not exhaustive" but is considered an "initial tranche."

The draft rule said the restrictions were necessary for the Department of Commerce to control the flow of U.S. technology to targeted companies since it was "vital for protecting U.S. national security interests."

Among the China companies are state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, China's largest civilian aircraft manufacturer, and military aircraft maker, Aviation Industry Corporation of China along with 10 of its subsidiaries.

The export restrictions will include many American-made products including computer software like word processing, scientific equipment like digital oscilloscopes, aircraft engines, aircraft parts and components.

A former U.S. official said the act of creating a list is provocative while another said the list would give China reason to retaliate.

The list might still be modified, Kevin Wolf, a lawyer and former commerce department official said. He said the department had shared the draft rule with a technical advisory committee of industry representatives and it should have been kept confidential. Wolf said the rule and list still might be modified. 

The list was made after the commerce department in April expanded the definition of "military end user." The new definition includes a country's armed services, its police and persons or entities supporting or contributing to the maintenance or production of military items - even if their business is mostly nonmilitary.

U.S. sources said the administration was close to ordering the implementation. While the date of implementation is not known it is almost certain President Donald Trump won't be able to implement his executive order before he leaves office Jan. 20.

The order will have to be cleared and sent to the Federal Register, the official U.S. publication for rules, by mid-December for it to become official.

On Nov. 12 the U.S. barred American companies and individuals from investing in 31 "Communist Chinese military companies" supporting the PLA. An executive order signed by Trump prohibits American companies and individuals from owning shares - outright or via investment funds - in these companies.

Starting Jan. 11 any investment from an American person or entity in these 31 companies or others identified by the Department of Defense and the Department of the Treasury will be prohibited.