China has initiated an antitrust investigation into Google, primarily targeting the Android operating system. This could be a strategic warning to Washington amidst ongoing trade tensions. The investigation is also focused on removing restrictions imposed on Chinese smartphone makers.

China's antitrust investigation into Google, which does not offer most of its consumer-facing services including search and email in the country, seems to make little sense on the surface, but analysts said the move could be seen as a warning shot to the US and a threat to the Android operating system.

The Chinese government's move to open an antitrust probe into Google is the latest development in a long and tangled relationship that goes back to the early 2000s. The investigation was one of a flurry of Chinese retaliatory measures announced Tuesday in response to a 10% tariff imposed by U.