Microsoft is trying to relocate hundreds of employees in China to the US and its allies
As tensions between the US and China escalate, Microsoft has offered hundreds of its China-based employees the chance to relocate to the US or other allied countries, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Exclusive | Microsoft Asks Hundreds of China-Based AI Staff to Consider Relocating Amid US-China Tensions - WSJ
Microsoft asks some China staff to relocate amid Sino-US tensions | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-asks-hundreds-china-based-staff-relocate-amid-us-china-tensions-wsj-2024-05-16/
Microsoft offers relocation to hundreds of China-based AI staff
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/16/microsoft-offers-relocation-to-hundreds-of-china-based-ai-staff-.html
The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft has asked employees who live in China and work on its cloud computing and AI businesses to consider relocating abroad.
According to a person familiar with the matter, most of the staff who received the offer to relocate overseas are Chinese nationals, and the relocation destinations are countries such as the United States, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. About 700 to 800 people have received the offer, and employees are being asked to decide by early June 2024. The staff were told by Microsoft that the relocation would 'strengthen Microsoft's global ambitions in cloud computing and help meet the need for AI engineers in various locations,' the person said.
In response to a Reuters inquiry, a Microsoft spokesperson said, 'Offering internal opportunities is a common practice in managing our global business. As part of this process, we have offered voluntary internal transfer opportunities to some employees.' While not saying how many employees had been offered the opportunity, the spokesperson said Microsoft remains committed to the Chinese market and will continue to operate in the country.
Microsoft has historically had closer ties with China than other major American technology companies. For example, Google search is not available in China, but Microsoft's Bing search maintains its service there. Also, while social networking sites and internet services such as Facebook and YouTube are not available in China, Microsoft's Windows and Office software have a large user base in China.
In addition, Microsoft Research Asia, a research hub in Asia, has offices in Beijing and Shanghai, and has contributed to nurturing China's best AI and technology leaders. At the time of writing, Microsoft employs about 7,000 engineers in its research and development group in the Asia Pacific region, most of whom are based in China.
However, in recent years, tensions between the United States and China have risen, and the United States has restricted exports to China of high-performance chips needed to develop AI-related applications, as well as urging allies such as Japan to cooperate in restricting exports and suspending services to China related to semiconductor development.
US tightens restrictions on AI chip exports to China, making it difficult to export NVIDIA chips - GIGAZINE
The dispute between the two countries has had multiple ramifications for companies in both countries, and Microsoft's offer is seen as a response to that dynamic, which industry analysts say could indirectly hurt China's AI ambitions amid a global shortage of top engineering talent.
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