The Chinese government announced on Tuesday that it opened an investigation into Google In response to 10% of prices imposed on Chinese imports by US President Donald Trump. Minutes After the prices Entering into force, the China State administration for market regulations said it was sorting the American technology giant to have potentially violated the country’s anti-monopoly law.
The Chinese government may have strategically chosen to continue Google, as it has limited operations in the country, ensuring that the blow for the American technology giant would be relatively minimal. This decision gives China a lot of space to increase if the Trump administration announces other prices or other commercial measures. Google refused to comment.
China also announced that it brought more restrictions on the sale of certain critical minerals such as tungsten and slap of additional prices on agricultural equipment, vans, liquefied natural gas, coal and other goods from UNITED STATES. Although the United States does not depend on China for all affected minerals, the country controls the majority of the global supply of tungsten, which is used in bulbs, semiconductors and ammunition.
“The position of China is firm and consistent. Trade and price wars have no winners, “said the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement Sunday, shortly after the prices were announced. “This decision cannot solve the problems of the United States at home and, more importantly, does not benefit one or the other side, even less the world.”
China has kept Google in its reticle during the current trade war with the United States in recent years. In 2020, the government would have Considered the opening An antitrust survey on Google’s Android activities, according to Reuters. The deliberations followed a complaint from the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which was targeted by Trump during his first mandate.
Due to American sanctions, Huawei is unable to use American manufacturing software such as Google Mobile Services, a series of tools widely used in the smartphones industry. The restrictions have forced the company to develop Its own operating system called bone harmony.
But most smartphones Around the world always flows on Android, which has triggered investigations into competition in a number of countries, some of which led to concession changes Designed to give consumers and application developers more choices and lower costs. In China, several smartphones manufacturers Continue to rely on an open source version of Android.
Last December, the Chinese authorities also opened an anti-monopoly survey on Nvidia, the flea manufacturer whose GPU played a crucial role in the development of generative AI and have become a important source trade between the United States and China. The announcement came shortly after the Biden administration still tightened China access to high-end semiconductors.
About 15 years ago, Google decree A research experience adapted to China following a series of Chinese government cyber attacks Against this and other American companies. Google debate Return to China with a search engine on Seven years agoBut the project was scuttled Following the protests of certain employees anxious to support Chinese surveillance and censorship.
Google has also stopped selling directly Cloud technologies in ChinaAs local laws could threaten confidentiality and security insurance it offers to customers on other markets. Other Google services like YouTube are blocked by Chinese regulators on the Internet.
China has enabled national companies to buy advertisements via Google so that they can market customers abroad. But the revenues of these transactions are relatively low, and China has not even aroused mention in the parent company Alphabet Annual financial report Last year. Which contrasts with Meta, What lists China among its largest markets in terms of advertisers’ location and said last year that advertisers based in China represent 10% of its annual income.
