- Microsoft is proposing to relocate hundreds of employees working in China.
- The offer was made to machine learning and cloud employees, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- The report was released amid heightened tensions between the United States and China over a variety of issues.
Microsoft is reportedly asking up to 800 employees in China if they would consider leaving the country as tensions between the US and China escalate.
The company is offering workers involved in machine learning and cloud computing jobs in countries such as the United States, Ireland and Australia, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
A Microsoft representative did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment outside of normal business hours.
A Microsoft spokesperson told the Journal that internal mobility opportunities are a normal part of business and the company remains focused on its China operations.
The report was released amid heightened tensions between the US and China over issues such as AI chips. The Biden administration is considering new rules that would require U.S. tech companies to obtain licenses before giving Chinese customers access to AI chips, the newspaper reported.
There are concerns that stricter rules could intensify the dispute with the Chinese government over chips.
Chinese authorities are also asking the country's tech giants to buy domestically produced AI chips.like a major company alibaba, Baidu, tencentTikTok's parent company, part time dancetold to cut spending on foreign chips like Nvidia. information It was reported this week, citing anonymous sources.
The move is a blow to Nvidia, which considers China an important market and a major source of revenue.
Other technology companies are also caught up in geopolitical tensions.
Apple has struggled recently in China, where it has lost iPhone sales to local suppliers in the key market. Apple also seems to be working on the next thing. Supply chain diversification Stay away from China.
The Chinese government is cracking down on the use of iPhones by authorities. Bloomberg previously reported that Chinese officials in at least eight provinces have been told to stop using Apple devices.
