The Chinese government has launched an investigation into possible anti-competitive practices among GM's dealers in the country, according to local reports.
The country's antitrust authorities are looking into possible monopolistic practices among SAIC-GM dealers and specifically into their retail-pricing practices.
China is GM's largest single market worldwide, with its joint ventures in the country selling a record 3.44m vehicles in the first 11 months of 2016.
Many market analysts have made a link between the investigation and US president-elect Donald Trump's recent phone conversation with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and comments he made separately on the country's 'One-China' policy.
In the past, these type of investigations have had the added effect of 'blunting' foreign criticism of China's domestic and foreign policies.
In the last two years, China has fined a number of foreign companies, including Volkswagen-Audi, Daimler and Fiat-Chrysler, for similar infringements as well as numerous Japanese parts manufacturers for supply chain price fixing.
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By GlobalData