Microsoft has previously faced investigations for anti-competitive behavior in Europe and the U.S., and now it is facing an anti-monopoly investigation in China. In a surprise raid, Chinese officials seized computer systems and documents from Microsoft offices in four different cities within the country.
The Chinese have accused Microsoft developers of building backdoors into Windows and other software in order to enable espionage by the U.S. government. Observers say the government is also hoping to promote Chinese technology companies. “The Chinese government has spent a lot of time and effort promoting and getting Chinese companies into the tech industry,” Jim McGregor, an analyst at Tirias Research, said. “The motivation is clear: They want Chinese companies to excel in China and overseas.”