Microsoft Partner Wicresoft Shuts China Operations, 2,000 Jobs Cut

Microsoft's joint venture Wicresoft will close its China operations tomorrow. The move affects 2,000 employees who handle tech support for Windows and Office products.

Wicresoft, founded in 2002 as Microsoft's first Chinese joint venture, grew into a global IT player with 10,000 employees across the U.S., Europe, and Japan. But rising U.S.-China tensions and fierce competition from local rivals like Kingsoft have pushed Microsoft to reduce its China footprint.

The shutdown follows Microsoft's closure of its Shanghai AI lab earlier this year. When a leaked internal email suggested Microsoft itself was exiting China, the company quickly denied it. But the Wicresoft closure raises questions about how Microsoft will support its Chinese customers.

Why this matters:

• Microsoft's retreat shows how even tech giants must pick sides in the U.S.-China tech war. Two decades of carefully built business relationships are unraveling faster than a cheap sweater.
• Chinese users may soon discover that breaking up with Windows is hard to do. With Wicresoft gone, getting tech support could become an Olympic-level challenge.