Microsoft does more research and development in China than it does anywhere else outside the United States. But, as US-China relations continue to sour on issues of trade and cyber-security, the decades-long ties Microsoft has in China are coming under close scrutiny. In an interview with BBC News, Microsoft's chief executive Satya Nadella has said that despite national security concerns, backing out of China would "hurt more" than it solved. "A lot of AI research happens in the open, and the world benefits from knowledge being open," he said. "That to me is been what's been true since the Renaissance and the scientific revolution. Therefore, I think, for us to say that we will put barriers on it may in fact hurt more than improve the situation everywhere."