China has launched an anti-monopoly probe into Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., and added two US companies—PVH Corp and Illumina—to its “unreliable entity list.”
This follows the implementation of new US tariffs on Chinese goods, signaling a significant escalation in trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
China’s Commerce Ministry stated that PVH Corp, the owner of brands like Calvin Klein, and biotechnology firm Illumina were added to the “unreliable entity list” for allegedly taking “discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises” and harming the “legitimate rights and interests” of Chinese companies.
The designation places restrictions on the firms’ trade, investment, and business operations in China.
China’s State Administration of Market Regulation confirmed it had opened an anti-monopoly investigation into Google, accusing the tech giant of breaching the country’s competition laws.
“We have launched an investigation into Google in accordance with the law,” the agency said in a statement, though it did not provide further details on the specific violations under scrutiny.
Although Google’s search engine is blocked in China, the company continues to maintain business relationships with local partners, including advertisers.
Google, PVH, and Illumina have not yet responded to requests for comment.