The Source Code Browsing Lab of the China Testing and Certification Center for Information Security Products was opened this week in China. The Center will enable Chinese entities to search through the Microsoft operating system's code for flaws and security holes.

Microsoft is the first commercial software company that signed the operating system source code browsing agreement with the Chinese government, and this is intended to give the company a face-saving gesture only a few weeks after the Chinese government stated that all government offices would stop using Microsoft products in 2004.

Dr. Lu Chengzhao, deputy head of the China Net and Information Group, said that the operating system is the base of information network, e-government, and e-commerce, the signing of the source code browsing agreement is the first step taken in bilateral cooperation.

According to sources at the software company, China is the eigteenth nation to sign such an agreement to view Microsoft's proprietary source code.