China Concludes Antitrust Investigation on Google’s Android System

After conducting an antitrust investigation, China has decided to end its probe into Google, specifically focusing on Android’s dominance in the mobile market and its impact on Chinese phone manufacturers like Oppo and Xiaomi. This development comes amidst ongoing trade discussions between the US and China, involving tariffs and the overall trade relationship between the two largest economies globally.

Despite Google’s search engine and core products such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps being inaccessible in China, the tech giant continues to generate significant revenue in the country through cloud services and advertising sales to Chinese companies targeting international audiences.

According to the Financial Times, Beijing’s decision to relax its stance on Google is seen as a strategic move, as China shifts its regulatory focus towards NVIDIA as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations with the US.

Earlier this year, NVIDIA reached an agreement with the US government to sell its H20 GPUs in China, with a condition to give 15 percent of the sales to the US. However, China subsequently prohibited local companies from purchasing the H20 chips. Additionally, Chinese tech firms are now restricted from buying NVIDIA’s latest AI chip, the RTX Pro 6000D, designed specifically for the Chinese market.

In another display of authority, Chinese regulators have accused NVIDIA of monopolistic behavior in its acquisition of chipmaker Mellanox. If found guilty of violating China’s anti-monopoly laws, NVIDIA could face fines ranging from 1 percent to 10 percent of its 2024 sales.

Recently, US and Chinese officials concluded trade talks in Madrid, with Presidents Trump and Xi expected to discuss a potential framework for a resolution. This agreement could involve transferring control of a certain portion of a company’s US operations to American entities, resulting in a majority stake held domestically.