Windows Phone Marketplace blocked in China?

More news from the Orient, and this time it looks like China is not loving the Windows Phone Marketplace as reports from users in China are claiming that they are unable to access the Marketplace. It seems that users will be able to skirt around the issue by connecting to a WiFi network via VPN to the USA which does indeed suggest that the ISPs along with the government have blocked access to the Marketplace.

This isn’t new as Android has faced something similar in the past and Motorola had to ship  a custom market for their Android devices in China. With the booming economy and growth of China as a major player, having a fragmented market will not do Microsoft and their Windows Phone 7 platform any favors. It looks like they might have to bow down and come up with something that will please the Chinese government if they hope to survive, assuming of course that the Marketplace is indeed blocked.