China state media reported yesterday that investigators from the State Administration of Industry and Commerce visited four Microsoft offices on Sunday July 27, in an anti-monopoly investigation. Holding a monopoly as a private company is illegal in China and is punishable by fines that can reach up to 10 percent of the company’s annual revenue, as Qualcomm discovered earlier this week.
Branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu were all visited by investigators in the surprise inspection. This was confirmed by Microsoft China’s spokesperson who said that the company is ‘actively cooperating with the government’s investigation’, although declined to comment further.
The investigation is the latest in a series of moves that indicate a cooling off of US-China business relations during which Microsoft in particular has suffered significantly.
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Keywords: Microsoft China under investigation
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They are not 'holding a monopoly'. There is Linux and lets not forget Apple. This is clearly ab attempt to target them for the 'crime' of being a successful foreign company. foreign companies, are you getting the message? And how is being the only company in the market their fault? Are they supposed to fund the competition.
Jul 29, 2014 21:52 Report Abuse
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