Would Microsoft Really Consider Ditching China?

from the unlikely dept

Thu, Nov 2nd 2006 2:16pm — Mike Masnick

There's a lot of chatter today about the statements from a Microsoft exec on the issue of selling into China, despite complaints about human rights abuses in the country. While many of the other tech companies have been giving their best corporate double speak to tiptoe around the issue, Microsoft's Fred Tipson became an instant story by suggesting that Microsoft might consider "pulling out" of China. However, when you look at the specifics of what he said, it's really not as big a deal as it sounds. There are a lot of conditional statements in there: "Things are getting bad... and perhaps we have to look again at our presence there... We have to decide if the persecuting of bloggers reaches a point that it's unacceptable to do business there.... We try to define those levels and the trends are not good there at the moment. It's a moving target." It really sounds like he's being honest. The company (like most companies) is monitoring the situation, and will see if it ever reaches a point that they consider to be beyond the pale. However, it doesn't sound like they've hit that point just yet -- and considering the market's sheer size and the amount of money and effort Microsoft has put into China, you'd have to think the company is staying put. If anything, the statement was either a brief moment of honesty (which he might regret), or perhaps designed to act as something of a signal to (a) China, to clean up its act (b) other companies to see if they'll react similarly, as Microsoft would likely only pull out if it looked like a bunch of companies would all pull out together or (c) the protesters who are upset about Microsoft's actions, and who may be placated by thinking at least Microsoft is thinking about pulling out, unlike the others. Perhaps it's all three at once.

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15 Comments

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Jatopian, 2 Nov 2006 @ 2:54pm

Why would Microsoft need to pull out of China, when "Don't Be Evil" Google is embracing it? Or perhaps they're both corrupt?
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2006 @ 3:01pm

In order to preserve your self-respect, it is sometimes necessary to lie and cheat.
Robert Byrne

in this case,
also to invest in china
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google, 2 Nov 2006 @ 3:02pm

one day google will buy mivrosoft will see whos evil then
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Million Dollar Link Experiment, 2 Nov 2006 @ 3:54pm

one day google will buy china
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Stu, 2 Nov 2006 @ 4:07pm

It's interesting that so many US companies besides MS, Yahoo and Google do business in China, and get very little bad press because of it.

There are exceptions of course, Walmart for example - although it doesn't seem to hurt their sales.

Furthermore, we don't hear about companies from other "developed" countries who do business in these places.

I don't condone human rights abuses in China or anywhere else they exist. However, I don't think any country can change the internal policies of another without defeating them in a war. And that isn't easy, is it?

The question is - Do you want to do business with countries that abuse human rights?
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David Shealey, 2 Nov 2006 @ 4:08pm

If Microsoft pulls out of China, what will be accomplished? It seems from most of what I read that the vast majority of computers in China are running on counterfeit copies of Microsoft (and other) software anyway. If they can get one copy, legal or not, they will soon have all they can use anyway. This goes for just about anything in the world that can be copied. The Chinese only pays a small amount of lip service to "cracking down" when pushed. Then, business as usual.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2006 @ 4:11pm

Re:
Or perhaps all you humanistic morons can't see past your own personal issues and look at the broader picture. I'm sick of the pissing in the country over China. Get your government to pull out of Iraq and focus on REAL homeland security, stop selling weapons abroad, put money into educating your children, eliminate hungar in your OWN country and then complain about the problems abroad. Stop being so damn self-rightous.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2006 @ 4:44pm

Bravo!!!!!
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^^^^Anonymous Coward^^^^, 2 Nov 2006 @ 5:02pm

bla bla bla. what perfect country do you live in buddy.
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DittoBox, 2 Nov 2006 @ 5:25pm

Re: Re:
Whoa...where the crap did *that* come from?

Sounds like you have some unresolved issues yourself.
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Stu, 2 Nov 2006 @ 5:51pm

humanistic morons
Except for the "humanistic morons" remark, he hsa some good points.

Is it bad to care about human rights abuses? Or only if you are the one being abused?
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2006 @ 5:56pm

Re: Re:
Get used to the self-righteousness. It's been the base of western culture since the greeks. White people think that they are always right and they have the obligation to spread and impose their beliefs. The middle age church din't help much either. Btw I am a white (non-denomination)christian.
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Annoying Bastard, 2 Nov 2006 @ 6:54pm

humanistic morons
I club baby seals just to hear them squeal.

Does this mean that Windows license will suddenly disappear ala Windows Genuine Advantage?

Lucky number 13!
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Unknowledgeable Geek, 3 Nov 2006 @ 7:02am

Re:
If MS pulls out of China, yes they will still be able to install windows, with bootlegged copies, but MS could block all Chinese IP address to their servers, thus not allowing them to update. With Windows not allowing to update, you might as well be driving a car with four flat tires and no gas.
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Unknowledgeable Geek, 3 Nov 2006 @ 7:05am

Subject
I love all of these posters, that just change the subject and all of a sudden think they are intelligent. I hate to say it, but the US is the best country in the world. What is everyone's money based on? What is the most commonly spoke language in the world? When a country is in trouble, albeit, financialy, governmently, any ly you can think of where do they turn? Sorry all of you Europeans that have to change the way they do things, i.e. EU, to compete with the US that this is true, but it is fact and the sooner you come to grips with it the sooner this will move forward in this world. Plus we have the strongest army.
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