He became the focus of a 2005 legal dispute between Google and Microsoft, his former employer, due to a one-year non-compete agreement that he signed with Microsoft in 2000 when he became its corporate vice president of interactive services. He is one of the most prominent figures in the Chinese internet sector. He was the founding president of Google China, serving from July, 2005 through September 4, 2009. His personal blog is widely followed in China and he runs a popular website to help young Chinese people achieve careers in IT.