**China Ends Google Antitrust Probe, Shifts Regulatory Focus to NVIDIA**
*By Akash Pandey | Sep 18, 2025*
China has decided to end its antitrust investigation into tech giant Google, just six months after the probe was launched, according to the *Financial Times*. This decision comes amid escalating trade talks between Beijing and Washington, particularly concerning the popular app TikTok.
It is important to note that Google has not yet been officially informed about the termination of the investigation.
### Details of the Probe into Google’s Android OS
The investigation, initiated in February by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, focused on Google’s market dominance through its Android operating system. The probe particularly examined how this dominance affects Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as OPPO and Xiaomi, which rely heavily on Google’s software ecosystem.
In Chinese regulatory terminology, the closure of this probe is described as “zhongzhi.”
### Strategic Shift in China’s Regulatory Focus
The decision to end the Google case is seen as a conciliatory gesture towards the United States, signaling Beijing’s willingness to negotiate. A source told the *Financial Times*, “Drop one case but seize the other. China is trying to narrow its retaliatory targets to make them more potent.”
Accordingly, China has now shifted its regulatory attention towards NVIDIA, the world’s most valuable chipmaker. This move is widely viewed as a potential bargaining chip in the ongoing US-China trade discussions.
### TikTok Ban Extended for Another Three Months
In related developments, US President Donald Trump recently announced an agreement with China regarding the sale of TikTok. This announcement followed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s confirmation of a “framework agreement” reached between the two countries over the app.
Despite this progress, President Trump has signed an executive order to extend the US ban on TikTok by three additional months. This marks the fourth extension of a law aimed at compelling the app’s sale from its Chinese parent company.
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As negotiations continue, China’s regulatory maneuvers reflect a delicate balance between economic strategy and diplomatic signaling in the tense US-China relationship.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/china-ends-probe-into-google-amid-trade-talks-with-us/story