China Launches Probes Targeting US Semiconductors Ahead of Madrid Talks

China has launched two probes targeting the U.S. semiconductor sector ahead of high-level trade talks between the two nations in Madrid. The Ministry of Commerce in China announced an anti-dumping investigation focusing on certain analog integrated circuit chips commonly produced by American companies like Texas Instruments and ON Semiconductor, alongside a separate anti-discrimination probe into U.S. measures against China's chip industry. These actions follow the U.S. adding 23 Chinese companies to its entity list, imposing restrictions on firms accused of threatening U.S. national security, including companies linked to major Chinese chipmaker SMIC. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng as part of ongoing negotiations aimed at easing trade tensions and delaying higher tariffs. Past talks in Geneva, London, and Stockholm resulted in multiple 90-day tariff pauses, with Bessent describing previous discussions as "very fulsome." The probes and talks underscore the continuing strategic competition and efforts to manage economic and technological disputes between the U.S. and China.