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Microsoft Corp. has reportedly asked hundreds of employees in its cloud-computing and artificial intelligence operations in mainland China to consider transferring outside of the country amid growing geopolitical tensions, but exactly how many staff may have been asked is uncertain.

The story originally comes from The Wall Street Journal, which references people familiar with the matter claiming that about 700 to 800 employees, mostly engineers with Chinese nationality, were offered the opportunity to transfer to countries that include the U.S., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

The offers to move reportedly were made earlier this week and employees given until early June to make up their minds. Employees who dont wish to leave can remain in China.

Although it appears that Microsoft may have indeed asked some employees to consider transfers to Western countries, how many were asked is disputed. Pandaily, which is based in China and covers the countrys tech scene, reportedthat Microsoft in China told reporters that only a small number of employees have been given the opportunity to choose international rotation and that reports about its AI team packing up and going to America were exaggerated and untrue.

Exactly what Microsofts plans are in mainland China may be subjective, but the company certainly appears not keen on growing its presence in the Middle Kingdom. The South China Morning Post reports that Microsoft has stopped hiring in China and will not have anynew job openings.

The same SCMP report also notes that any reallocations are not unique, as Microsoft already moved some of its top AI researchers last year from China to a new research lab in Vancouver, Canada. Microsoft said at the time that the Vancouver lab would be staffed by researchers from offices worldwide, including China.

What is clearly true is the growing geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China. Only in the last week, the Biden administration slapped major new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment. The tariffs are meant to counter alleged Chinese government subsidies that give Chinese companies an unfair advantage in international trade.

American workers can outwork and outcompete anyone as long as the competition is fair, President Biden said in the White House Rose Garden earlier this week. But for too long, it hasnt been fair. For years, the Chinese government has poured state money into Chinese companies its not competition, its cheating.

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Microsoft offers overseas transfers to China-based cloud and AI staff amid geopolitical tensions - SiliconANGLE News