Microsoft (MSFT) plans to recruit 6000 business partners for the new fiscal year in 36 major cities in China.

According to Chinabyte.com, Microsoft will start the initiative first in Qingdao and Xiamen before moving to other cities like Weihai, Jinan and Dongguan. A representative from Microsoft tells the media that they will recruit 15 partners from October to December this year and expand its recruitment activities to all 36 cities by the end of the 2008 fiscal year.

Microsoft will spend CNY80 million on channel construction. This is the largest amount of money it has ever used for the Chinese IT market in this way.

Microsoft says it currently has about 3000 business partners.