China Bans Microsoft & Google.

Indeed, Xinhua—which naturally has an intimate relationship with the state—made the surveillance aspect explicit in the opener of its article on the new OS.

“After concerns about US surveillance and a monopoly probe of Microsoft, there is some good news for China’s homegrown operating system (OS): a desktop version may be ready in October,” the agency wrote.

It’s not immediately apparent that the Windows 8 ban and subsequent development of China’s own OS are direct responses to the NSA leaks, but as a whole, both are certainly indicative of the long-deteriorating relationship between the two countries when it comes to cyberespionage.

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