Microsoft Offers Global Opportunities to Chinese Staff as US-China Relations Tighten

Microsoft Corporation’s China headquarters is encouraging its employees to consider overseas assignments.

Microsoft announced on the 16th (local time) that it is asking some of its China-based employees to consider overseas assignments as tensions between the US and China continue to escalate due to AI and semiconductor technologies.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is asking 700-800 employees working in cloud computing and machine learning fields to consider overseas assignments.

Officials stated that most of the engineers of Chinese nationality were offered the option to relocate to the United States, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand earlier this week.

A Microsoft Corporation spokesperson said, “Offering internal opportunities is a regular part of managing our global business, and as part of this process, we have shared optional internal relocation opportunities with some employees.”

The spokesperson also added, “Microsoft remains committed to China and will continue to operate in China and other markets.”

This action comes amid deteriorating US-China relations as the Biden administration raises tariffs on various Chinese imports, including electric vehicle (EV) batteries, computer chips, and pharmaceuticals.

Reuters reported earlier this month that the US Department of Commerce is considering new regulations to restrict the export of software and data used in proprietary or closed AI models.