Microsoft confirmed it's under investigation in China but declined to provide further details. The US-based company said it was cooperating with Chinese government officials. Two people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce is conducting an anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition probe. Government officials visited Microsoft offices in cities including Beijing and Shanghai, the report said. The Chinese officials obtained some documents and questioned Microsoft employees.
China has stepped up pressure on US companies since American prosecutors indicted five Chinese military officers in May for allegedly stealing corporate secrets. Microsoft, Google and Apple have been criticized by state media since the charges were announced for allegedly cooperating with a US spying programme, and Qualcomm is the subject of an anti-monopoly investigation.
Microsoft said in May it’s working with the Chinese government to evaluate Windows 8 after the software was excluded from a government purchasing order. Part of the reason for the exclusion was concerns over internet safety, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
