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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Microsoft shut down the MSN China web portal on June 7, 2016. This was the Chinese-language MSN中文网 site—not MSN Messenger, whose mainland China service had ended in 2014.
When did MSN China shut down?
Microsoft announced the closure in May 2016. In a statement quoted by Reuters, the company said, “Microsoft will be shutting down the MSN portal in China on June 7.” The portal stopped service on that date, according to People’s Daily.
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The name refers to MSN China, also known as MSN中文网, a Chinese-language web portal. People’s Daily reported that after service ended, the page changed from news information to links to popular websites.
Why did Microsoft close the portal?
Microsoft’s public statement emphasized its continued commitment to China, citing Windows 10, cloud services, and its research and development center. The statement did not identify a single reason for closing MSN China.
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Contemporaneous reporting offered business context rather than a confirmed explanation from Microsoft. TechCrunch characterized the move as a focus on products with greater revenue potential, and described portal features such as search, news, microblogging, and messaging as facing competition from local services including Tencent’s WeChat, Sina Weibo, and Baidu. Those points are reporting and analysis, not an official list of Microsoft’s reasons.
MSN China and MSN Messenger were different services
| Service | What it was | Mainland China end date |
|---|---|---|
| MSN China / MSN中文网 | Chinese-language web portal | June 7, 2016; People’s Daily reported that the portal stopped service that day. |
| MSN Messenger | Instant-messaging service | 2014; Reuters and ChinaZ reported that Messenger’s mainland China service had already ended. |
The dates refer to separate products. The 2016 closure was not the end date for MSN Messenger.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How MSN China began
On May 11, 2005, Microsoft announced a joint venture with Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd. to launch MSN China. The company described the planned portal as an online experience combining communications, information, and content services. Microsoft’s announcement records that launch plan. People’s Daily later dated Microsoft’s formal entry into China through the service to May 26, 2005, and described the portal as having operated in the Chinese market for more than eleven years when it closed.
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