Top Microsoft exec leaves for Baidu

Beijing - A top Microsoft executive in China has left to work for internet search giant Baidu, a spokesperson said on Monday, in another setback for the US-based firm's China ambitions.

Zhang Yaqin was a vice president and led Microsoft's Asia-Pacific research department.

"Zhang Yaqin will start as president for new business on September 10," a Baidu spokesperson said.

Microsoft has been under pressure from the government for months.

Investigators have begun anti-trust proceedings against the company, and there is a ban on installing the Windows 8 operating system on official computers.

Microsoft has been struggling to generate more revenue from the use of its operating system in China, where it holds a dominant position, but only due to the large number of pirated copies.

A state-backed alliance of developers is planning to release a Chinese operating system later this year.

In May, Baidu tapped a senior manager from Microsoft rival Google to head its research centre in California.

The software market in China is growing fast, and was worth about three trillion yuan (nearly $500bn) in 2013, according to official figures.