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.

China said it was opening an antitrust probe into Google, part of a series of actions Tuesday that also included tariffs on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas imports as well as restrictions on the export of certain metals.

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.