China Investigates Microsoft's Sale of Media Player and Web Browser in Antitrust Probe

China noted that tech giant Microsoft has yet to fully cooperate with the ongoing anti-monopoly investigation against it, demanding that the company provide its software sales data.

Zhang Mao, the head of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), told reporters that the company has expressed willingness to cooperate with the investigation.

"After multiple meetings including at high levels, they've expressed a willingness to respect Chinese law and collaborate with investigating officials," Zhang said.

He added that the company has to provide details about the sales of its software including Windows, Office, Media Player and Internet Explorer.

"Microsoft is suspected of incomplete disclosure of information related to Windows and Office software, as well as problems in distribution and sales of its media player and browser," said Zhang.

He did not provide further details into the probe.

The antitrust probe against the company comes after an industry complaint related to compatibility and bundling issues with Windows and Office software.

Microsoft faced lawsuits in the US and EU over its bundling of web browser and media player in its popular Windows operating system, which has become dominant in recent decades.

In the US, Microsoft settled a case with the Justice Department in 2001 over its bundling of Internet Explorer in Windows.

In 2004, the EU ordered Microsoft to pay a €497m ($656m, £396m) fine over bundling of the media player with Windows.

The SAIC had earlier raided Microsoft offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu at the end of July for alleged breach of antitrust laws, and later extended the probe into the company's offices in Liaoning, Fujian and Hubei.

The state agency also warned Microsoft against interfering with the ongoing anti-trust probe.

In May, China's central government offices were banned from using Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 8, after the US Justice Department charged five Chinese military members with hacking the systems of US companies to allegedly steal trade secrets.

The trade and political relations between the countries have recently been deteriorating over spying concerns, and both countries have targeted big companies especially in the technology sector.

China's antitrust regulator earlier said that US chipmaker Qualcomm enjoys a monopoly in the world's second largest economy. It is also probing Qualcomm's Chinese subsidiary for allegedly overcharging and abusing its market position in wireless communication standards.

On 4 August, China's procurement agency dropped antivirus software providers Symantec Corp and Kaspersky Lab - from the US and Russia, respectively - from a list of approved suppliers of security software.