Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) says its Surface Pro tablet and all other products meet or exceed warranty laws in China, denying a report in state media that its coverage of the device falls short of local requirements.

Consistent with Chinese law, Surface Pro and its main components are covered under a two-year warranty, Microsoft said in an e-mailed response to questions, sent through Graham Norris at Ogilvy Public Relations.

China National Radio on April 8 reported the company had a one-year pledge for the Surface Pro.

That followed a March 15 report by China Central Television that criticized Apple Inc.’s customer service, which was followed by more than a dozen similarly themed articles in the People’s Daily newspaper in the past few weeks.

“We stand behind our products with a manufacturer’s warranty, which is additional to our commitment to honor any statutory obligation as either a manufacturer or retailer, to repair or replace a faulty product,” Microsoft said in the statement.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, began selling Surface tablets in China in October. The company’s first global sale of the device was done in Beijing as it wooed local consumers frustrated by long waits for Apple devices.

The criticism by China National Radio may be the opening shot against the world’s largest software maker, similar to what Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) faced in the past month, said Doug Young, author of the book “The Party Line: How the Media Dictates Public Opinion in Modern China.” After a March 15 report by China Central Television criticized Apple’s customer service, the People’s Daily published more than a dozen articles on the subject.

“It sounds potentially worrisome; it looks a copycat of the whole Apple thing,” Young said. China National Radio “is trying to jump on the same bandwagon,” he said.

Most western companies already provide much better after- sales service than Chinese companies, Young said.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook apologized to Chinese consumers on April 2 after two weeks of being lambasted by state-run media for arrogance and poor customer service. China shouldn’t loosen regulations on Apple because of that apology, the People’s Daily said Monday.