Space News from SpaceDaily.com
China says to probe Google over anti-monopoly violations
Beijing, Feb 4 (AFP) Feb 04, 2025
China on Tuesday said it would probe US tech giant Google over violations of anti-monopoly laws after Washington slapped 10 percent levies on Chinese goods.

Beijing's State Administration for Market Regulation said the US tech giant was "suspected of violating the Anti-Monopoly Law of the People's Republic of China".

It has "launched an investigation into Google in accordance with the law" as a result, the administration said in a statement.

It did not provide further details about the allegations against Google.

The US tech behemoth's core search engine and many of its services are blocked in mainland China, where US internet titans have long struggled with doing business due to the "Great Firewall" that blocks politically sensitive content.

Google in 2011 abandoned its Chinese-language search engine in the mainland and transferred it to Hong Kong.

By 2014, China blocked the last remaining way to access Google's email service Gmail.

Beijing also said Tuesday it would add US fashion group PVH Corp. -- which owns Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein -- and biotech giant Illumina to a list of "unreliable entities".

The move would "safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, in accordance with relevant laws", China's commerce ministry said in a statement.

"The above two entities violate normal market transaction principles, interrupt normal transactions with Chinese enterprises, and take discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises," it added.

China in September said it was investigating PVH for an "unreasonable" boycott of cotton from its Xinjiang region, where Beijing is accused of widespread rights violations.

AFP has reached out to all three firms for comment.

The United States on Saturday announced sweeping measures against major trade partners, with goods from China facing an additional 10 percent tariff on top of existing duties.

Trump said the measures aimed to punish countries for failing to halt flows of illegal migrants and drugs including fentanyl into the United States.

ll-isk/oho/sco

GOOGLE

ILLUMINA

PVH


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Macron says Europe must become 'space power' again
NASA raises chance for asteroid to hit moon
Tidal forces from the Sun may have shaped Mercury's tectonic features

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Tesla expected to launch long-discussed robotaxi service
Israeli army says struck ' inactive nuclear reactor' in Iran's Arak
New Zealand targets leadership in superconducting space tech with new research alliance

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Trump says US strikes 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites
Israelis emerge from shelters to devastation after Iran attacks
Japan spots Chinese ships near disputed isles for record 216 straight days

24/7 News Coverage
NASA scientists find ties between Earth's oxygen and magnetic field
How did life survive 'Snowball Earth'? In ponds, study suggests
Arctic warming spurs growth of carbon-soaking peatlands


All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.