Microsoft is using the diplomacy card in China as it tries to stamp out piracy and put a curb on the growing popularity of open-source software.
The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is courting government officials, donating money to educational projects, and investing in joint ventures with local companies, said Jun Tang, president of Microsoft China. A few years back, the company was grappling with widespread piracy and with charges, brought by its former top China executive, that it price-gouged Chinese customers.
"We just signed a deal with the State Council," the country's chief governing body, Tang said. "They all use Microsoft products."
|