China launched an anti-dumping investigation into dried grains from the United States Tuesday, five days after announcing a similar probe into photographic paper imported from the European Union, the US and Japan.

China will investigate whether "distiller's dried grains with or without solubles" are being dumped by American firms in China and also check if any harm has been done to the domestic market, the Ministry of Commerce said yesterday.

The two probes were announced after the US complained last week to the World Trade Organization that China illegally subsidized its production of wind power equipment. The US decision was the second time in less than four months that the US accused China of violating world trade rules.

Trade disputes between China and the US seemed to be escalating again.

On December 14, China said it will lodge an appeal to the WTO after the body supported the US's decision to impose 35-percent safeguard duties over imports of Chinese tires.

Such rows are not likely to overshadow the Chinese economy because China is shifting to domestic consumption as the driving power and depend less on external conditions, said Lawrence Lau, president of CPA Australia Shanghai Committee.

But the seemingly endless trade disputes do no good to the world economy, said Sun Lijian, an economics professor at Fudan University.