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Microsoft’s MSN China web portal stopped service on June 7, 2016. This was the Chinese-language portal, MSN中文网—not MSN Messenger, whose mainland China service had ended in 2014.
When did MSN China shut down?
Microsoft announced the portal’s closure in May 2016. In a statement quoted by Reuters on May 10, the company said it would shut the MSN portal in China on June 7. People’s Daily reported on June 7 that MSN中文网 had formally stopped service that day. It said the page changed from news information to links to popular websites.
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What was MSN China?
MSN China, known in Chinese as MSN中文网, was Microsoft’s Chinese-language web portal. Microsoft announced the project on May 11, 2005, as a joint venture with Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd. The planned portal was described as an online experience bringing together communications, information, and content services. Microsoft’s announcement documents the partnership and launch plans; People’s Daily dates the company’s formal entry into China to May 26, 2005.
Was MSN China the same as MSN Messenger?
No. The portal and Messenger were different services. MSN China was a website for news and other online content; MSN Messenger was an instant-messaging product. Reporting by ChinaZ and Reuters says Messenger’s mainland China service ended in 2014. The portal’s shutdown followed in 2016.
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| Service | What it was | Mainland China shutdown |
|---|---|---|
| MSN China / MSN中文网 | Chinese-language web portal | June 7, 2016, according to People’s Daily |
| MSN Messenger | Instant-messaging service | 2014, according to ChinaZ and Reuters |
Why did Microsoft close the portal?
Microsoft’s public statement focused on its continued business in China rather than setting out a specific reason for closing the portal. As quoted by Reuters, the company said it remained “deeply committed to China” and pointed to Windows 10, cloud services, and its research and development center.
Contemporary coverage offered a competitive and strategic explanation, but it was analysis rather than a company-confirmed list of causes. TechCrunch characterized the move as a shift toward products with greater revenue potential, noting that local services such as Tencent’s WeChat, Sina Weibo, and Baidu had supplanted portal features including messaging, microblogging, search, and news. The available statements establish Microsoft’s stated priorities, not one exclusive cause for the closure.
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