Just half an hour before Ya-Qin Zhang blew out his 38th birthday candles on Wednesday, the multimedia genius was promoted to vice president of Microsoft, a milestone in his career at the US headquarters of Microsoft. 

Formerly managing director of the Beijing-based Microsoft Research Asia (MSR Asia), Zhang is said to be the first Chinese to be promoted directly from a multinational's China branch to its global vice-presidency.

Zhang is also Microsoft's second senior vice-president to come from MSR Asia in five years. Li Kaifu, also a former director of MSR Asia, was promoted to global vice-president in 2000.

Analysts say the promotion not only resulted from Zhang's prominent performance at MSR Asia, but was also because China is growing to be the largest potential market for the mobile communications industry.

Zhang is expected to mainly take charge of the mobile communications business and the promotion of the embedded system around the world after being recalled to the headquarters.

Zhang said that his work will be divided into three parts -- mobile equipment, the development of the WINCE operation system, and the promotion of WINCE-based embedded facilities.

Embedded facilities will further "intelligentize" mobile phones and PDAs, favoring users with more convenient access to the Internet, e-mail, on-line games and music, Zhang said.

"I am confident about the future of our industry, as China and Asia in general have become the most prospective and important markets in this respect," he said.

Ya-Qin Zhang, born in 1966, joined Microsoft Research China, which was later renamed MSR Asia, in January 1999 as assistant managing director.

Rick Rashid, vice-president of Microsoft, gave a high appraisal of Zhang's management ability and keen insight into technology, while expressing appreciation for his contributions to the rapid development of MSR Asia.

Dubbed a "prodigy," Zhang received a master's degree from the Chinese University of Science and Technology in 1985, when he was only 19 years. He got a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from George Washington University of the United States in 1989. In addition, he received executive business training at Harvard University.

He has gained over 40 US patents in the fields of digital video, the Internet, multimedia, wireless and satellite communications, and has been a fellow of the US-based Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) since 1997.

Shen Xiangyang, formerly deputy managing director of MSR Asia, will replace Zhang in Microsoft's largest research institute outside its headquarters.

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2004)