"Regardless of whether or not Google stays [in China], we will aggressively promote our search and cloud computing," Zhang Yaqin, chairman of Microsoft's Asia-Pacific R&D Group, earlier today.

Yaqin spoke the news agency during the opening of China's National People's Congress in Beijing.

To drive the point home, Yaqin told Reuters that Microsoft plans to spend some $500 million on research and development in China this year.

Industry analysts have been speculating about -- Google's biggest search rivals -- would react if the search giant pulls its business out of China.

in January that a major attack launched against its network from China had forced it to consider pulling its business from the country. After the attack, which was aimed at exposing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists, Google said it was reconsidering its willingness to of users in China as required by the government.