China restricts business investments in the US as trade tensions rise

China has stepped up its stance against the United States by restricting its companies' investments in the country, amid an escalation in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.

According to a report from Bloomberg News, in recent weeks, regulators in Beijing received orders to suspend approvals for new investments by Chinese companies in US territory.

This measure, according to the media, seeks to strengthen China's position ahead of negotiations with the Trump Administration.

Meanwhile, President Trump is scheduled to detail this Wednesday, from the White House Rose Garden, his plan to impose far-reaching tariffs.

In 2023, Chinese companies invested $6.9 billion in the United States, according to data cited by Bloomberg. However, sources consulted by the media assure that the restrictions would not affect existing commitments or Chinese holdings of US Treasury bonds or other financial instruments.

The Panama Canal ports case

A recent example of these tensions is the intervention of Chinese regulators in a high-profile deal. Last week, China's State Administration of Market Regulation launched an antitrust investigation that halted the sale of 43 global port facilities by CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing.

The deal, valued at $22.8 billion, included key ports at both ends of the Panama Canal and near the Suez Canal, and was led by US asset manager BlackRock.

Control of the Panama Canal ports has become a critical issue since Trump announced his intention to reassert US dominance over this strategic waterway.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed that he is "angry" at the proposed sale by CK Hutchison, especially since the company did not consult Beijing beforehand.

Tariffs and retaliation

Economic hostilities between the two countries are not new. Last month, Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 20%, while imposing 25% levies on imports from Canada and Mexico.

In response, Beijing applied tariffs of up to 15% on a wide range of US agricultural exports and expanded restrictions on US companies, adding about two dozen to its export control list.