It seems that Microsoft's Bing search engine has angered mandarins ruling the Glorious People's Republic of China. The country has decided to ban the search engine because it happens to give people information on things that China would prefer they knew nothing about.

The ban comes just before the commemoration of the China blocks Bing ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Microsoft's Bing.com, Live.com and Hotmail.com are among several internet services that have been blocked for customers in China. Redmond has given the Chinese government a ring and is trying to find out the best way to get its search engine accepted behind the Great Firewall of China.

However according to Microsoft it is committed to helping advance the free flow of information, and is committed to encouraging transparency, due process and rule of law when it comes to Internet governance.

Unfortunately for the Chinese government that policy is completely the opposite of what it wants. Instead Microsoft should treat it like an award that its search engine provides so much information that the Chinese want to ban it.