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The Chinese government has said it will not use Windows 8, the latest version of Microsoft’s venerable desktop operating system.
The decision was announced last week on the website of the Procurement Center for China’s Central Government, but not widely reported until today, when a story appeared from Xinhua, China’s state news agency. In an emailed statement, Microsoft said it would continue to work with the Central Government Procurement Center and other government agencies.
As it stands, Microsoft can still sell Windows 8 in the country. It’s just that the Chinese government will no longer be a buyer. The American software giant has been selling Windows in China for more than 20 years, but the company has had problems with widespread piracy of the OS, and like many U.S. technology companies, it’s still struggling to do business in the country. The ban by the government is just the latest bump in the road.
