Microsoft is abandoning its local version of LinkedIn in China, a move that would close off the last major U.S.-owned networking platform remaining in the country. In 2014, LinkedIn entered mainland China, a country known for its highly restrictive censorship practices set by the Chinese Communist Party. The platform now boasts about 53 million local users, or roughly 7 percent of its global total. But the professional networking site has recently drawn growing criticism over its move to block the profiles of researchers and others whose work involves China. In an Oct, 14 statement, LinkedIn said that it made the decision to discontinue the seven-year venture upon facing “a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China.” In its place, LinkedIn stated that it will set up a new job search application later this year called InJobs without a social feed or post-sharing features. “While we’ve found …