We reported yesterday some of Microsoft’s offices in China had been raided by government agents who took away documents and computers. This was related to an official investigation but it was never made public what the Chinese authorities were actually investigating.
Sina News is now reporting that these raids and seizures were about anti-trust or “unfair trade” on Microsoft’s part. It"s not clear if this is a legitimate concern regarding the company"s business practices or simply a form of intimidation on the Chinese government"s part. Unfortunately the company hasn’t made any further info public, though they did say they would fully cooperate with the authorities.
Microsoft has had a troubled relationship with the Chinese government recently, mostly stemming from the company’s decision to abandon Windows XP, still the most popular OS in China. Soon after the government banned Windows 8 from its own infrastructure citing security concerns.
The company needs the Chinese market as it’s one of the biggest on earth, but sadly geo-political realities often make for a bumpy relationship between Microsoft and local authorities.
Source: Sina News | Thanks FaiKee for the tip!