China announced on Friday that it has launched two investigations into the trade practices of the United States in response to Washington’s actions against Beijing, including allegations of forced labor.
These new Chinese investigations focus on presumed disruptions to global supply chains and the trade of “green products,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. Such investigations could be a precursor to retaliatory trade measures such as tariffs. They are carried out “in response to the two American investigations targeting China under Section 301,” he added, referring to a punitive American mechanism of tariffs.
The United States has announced commercial investigations targeting dozens of countries, including China, in recent weeks in the name of combating overcapacity and forced labor. These American actions could bypass the Trump administration’s imposition of new tariffs on other countries, following the Supreme Court’s invalidation in February of most of those put in place when the billionaire Republican returned to power in early 2025.
China had labeled these investigations conducted under Section 301 as “political manipulation.” The Chinese Ministry of Commerce will “take necessary actions based on the investigation results and firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests,” the spokesperson said in the statement. The two investigations are expected to “conclude within six months” but could be extended by three months, he emphasized.
The White House announced that Donald Trump will visit Beijing on May 14 and 15. This trip has been postponed by several weeks due to the conflict in the Middle East.
[Context: The investigations are part of escalating trade tensions between China and the United States.] [Fact Check: Donald Trump is not in power in 2025, this is likely a typographical error.]
