Chapter 63 Take over the leadership and push Microsoft China Research Institute to the forefront of the world

One month after the report, in July 2000, Zhang Yaqin was on vacation at his home in New Jersey.Just after two days of rest, Li Kaifu called.With a heavy voice, he said, "Yaqin, I'm leaving, it's all up to you." Zhang Yaqin didn't come back to his senses for a while, and hurriedly asked: "What do you mean? Where are you going?" Li Kaifu was transferred back to the Microsoft headquarters as the global vice president, and devoted himself to the work related to Microsoft.NET, which was recently proposed by Microsoft. The stick of Microsoft China Research Institute was handed over to Zhang Yaqin.

Zhang Yaqin felt that Li Kaifu was joking, because the research institute had just started not long ago.Three days later, he ended his short vacation and returned to Beijing. On August 2, 2000, he officially became the president and chief scientist of Microsoft China Research Institute. At that time, the size of the research institute was close to 50 people. This is the first year of the new century. Standing at a new starting point, the whole world is looking at China in the East.Lee Kuan Yew, a senior politician in Asia and 77 years old, published his autobiography "Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew", he predicted: "China is likely to achieve its goal of becoming a modern economic power by 2050, and it will participate in the world as an equal and responsible partner. Trade and financial activities, and becoming one of the important members of the world. If it does not shift the two major development centers of education and economy, China has a good chance of becoming the second largest trading country in the world. This is a concept of China for 50 years - modernization , confident and responsible major power.”

Driven by the good news of the upcoming entry into the WTO, China's macro economy is showing a good momentum.In such an atmosphere, under the leadership of Zhang Yaqin, Microsoft China Research Institute entered the "new century" and began to move towards another glory. This year, Bill Gates came to Microsoft China Research Institute, and everything here made him feel overwhelmed.The research institute is more like a game software production base, like a science fiction world! "Photon", "Quantum", "Gene Chain", "DNA", "Powder Depot", these are the names of the meeting rooms.There is nothing on the walls, mostly big whiteboards, some even have no walls, just endless big whiteboards.

Is this Microsoft Research, or an art gallery? Bill Gates and other senior officials of Microsoft gradually saw the words on the big whiteboard, which were some inexplicable formulas and some strange words. It turned out that those big whiteboards were used by Zhang Yaqin to record the momentary inspiration of employees.When he first arrived at the institute, the only request Zhang Yaqin made to Li Kaifu was to install a four-meter-long whiteboard in his office so that he could record his sudden inspiration.Apparently, all subsequent whiteboards at the Institute were copies of this original idea.

Colleagues in the research institute commented on Zhang Yaqin, he always showed a positive expression to his employees, and he regarded all uncertainties and challenges as the joys of life.He infects those around him with his relaxed and calm lifestyle, although he never says anything exciting. In November 2001, Microsoft Research China developed into Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA).This move shows Microsoft's great confidence in the economic development potential of China and the entire Asia-Pacific region and its solemn commitment to the development of the information industry in this region.

In the summer of the following year, former US Secretary of State Kissinger led a delegation to visit China to commemorate President Nixon's "ice-breaking trip" 30 years ago.Microsoft global CTO Craig Mundy and his peers.Craig Mundie is both the CTO of Microsoft and a good friend of Kissinger.Zhang Yaqin and three or four colleagues from the company talked about many things when they accompanied Kissinger and Craig Mundy to dinner.Kissinger recalled how he pretended to be sick in 1971 and 1972, hid in the back of the car, flew to China, and negotiated with Premier Zhou Enlai. Zhang Yaqin said: "Kissinger is a very important figure in the history of China's opening of the door and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. At that time, he told us many small and detailed stories. After telling us, he went to Beijing with us with great interest. Dinner at the restaurant. On the top floor of the Beijing Hotel, he recalled that in 1972, Premier Zhou pointed to the chimneys in Beijing and told him how developed our Beijing is.”

Zhang Yaqin stood beside Kissinger, and it was very interesting to hear what he said.At this time, Kissinger asked him: "How is Microsoft doing in China?" Zhang Yaqin introduced the basic situation of the institute to him. Kissinger was very interested and asked many questions about some technical matters.Craig Mundie took the opportunity to invite Dr. Kissinger to visit Microsoft China Research Institute. Kissinger was intrigued and decided to go the next morning.The next day was Saturday, and I had arranged for free activities to visit the Great Wall.He declined and decided to visit Microsoft Research.That day, he brought the doctor and Craig Mundy, and he called all the administrators and managers of the institute.It was in the conference room on the third floor of the Sigma Building.

Zhang Yaqin made some preparations in advance and planned to introduce the current research direction to him first.Kissinger said, stop for a moment, before you start, I want to ask, what kind of background do you have?Briefly introduce.Everyone answered where they read the book.The result is very interesting. "A dozen people in our circle all have the same background. All of them were born in China. They finished their PhD in the United States and then came back." Zhang Yaqin said: "Kissinger is over 80 years old and has just had heart surgery. But after listening to everyone's introduction, I can see that he has a special sense of pride. Our group is the beneficiary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. We are all contributing to the exchange of science and technology between China and the United States. I can see the satisfaction and pride on Kissinger’s face. He has indeed made great contributions to the opening of the door between China and the United States.”

This time, Microsoft's CTO Craig Mundy also shouldered a heavy responsibility. On behalf of Microsoft, he signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in the software industry with the former State Planning Commission (now the National Development and Reform Commission) in Beijing.According to the memorandum, the former State Planning Commission supported Microsoft to carry out a package plan of export investment, personnel training, technology development, etc. In the five years at Microsoft, Zhang Yaqin realized Bill Gates' ideal, turned Microsoft China Research Institute into Asia Research Institute, and pushed it to the forefront of the world. In 2004, Microsoft Research Asia was rated as one of the top computer science research institutes in the world by MIT Technology Review.