Shares of Apple were down 2.66% at 09:34 a.m. London time in premarket trading.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) is looking into policies that include Apple taking a cut of as much as 30% on in-app spending, as well as blocking third-party payment services and app stores,

The news comes as trade tensions between the U.S. and China ramp up under the administration of President Donald Trump, one month into his second term.

Apple has maintained that its strict App Store policies are designed to protect users and improve the experience across its products.

China this week also opened a probe into Google over alleged antitrust violations, although the market regulator did not supply details over the focus of the investigation.

Source: CNBC