China to launch Google probe
China’s antitrust regulator has launched an investigation into suspected violations by US tech giant Google. The announcement, which was made on Tuesday morning, coincides with rising trade tensions triggered by US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to impose tariffs on Chinese goods.
The antitrust regulator, known as SAMR, offered no details about the probe, nor did it explicitly link it to the tariffs.
Google’s presence in China is limited. The global versions of its services are blocked in the country, and its expansion attempts have been hindered by government support for domestic competitors, cybersecurity concerns, and challenges in navigating Chinese content moderation requirements amid Western pressure to challenge “censorship” by Beijing.
The US search behemoth has extensive experience with regulatory scrutiny globally. Last August, a US federal court ruled that Google is a monopolist that exploits its dominance to stifle competition to its search engine.
In the EU, Google has faced multibillion-euro fines issued by the bloc’s regulator and some member states for antitrust violations. Earlier this month, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority launched an inquiry into Google’s advertising business.
Trump has imposed additional 10% tariffs on Chinese goods, officially as part of a package of emergency measures related to illegal immigration and drug trafficking that were mostly aimed at Mexico and Canada. Beijing responded minutes after the measure took effect on Tuesday by slapping duties on American hydrocarbons, agricultural machinery, and certain types of vehicles. It also filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization.
The Chinese government has also introduced restrictions on the export of certain minerals – tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum, and indium – that are crucial for advanced manufacturing, but refrained from directly linking the move to the intensifying trade conflict.
