China Raids Multiple Microsoft Offices, Media Demands "Severe Punishment"

07-29-2014 • http://www.zerohedge.com, by Tyler Durden

Chinese officials declined to give any reasons for the inspections. Whether this is ongoing blow-back from NSA revelations or a back-door Russia retaliation is unclear, but it is an escalation from the ongoing Windows 8 ban. Microsoft's only response, "we're happy to answer the government's questions."

As Reuters reports,

Chinese government officials have made sudden visits to Microsoft offices in China, a spokeswoman for the company said on Monday, but declined to give any reason for the inspections.

China's State Administration for Industry & Commerce, which Chinese media reported had made the visits to Microsoft offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, declined to give comment outside of working hours.

Microsoft has been a focus of anti-U.S. technology sentiment in China since U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden revealed widespread spying programs, including PRISM, which used U.S. company's technology for cyber espionage.