Microsoft announces a May 23 event in China, possibly to debut a new Surface

Microsoft announced plans for a May 23 event in Shanghai, but offered few details on the topic at hand. However, a tweet from hardware executive Panos Panay suggests a new Surface might be among the products to be unveiled.

"See you in Shanghai. May 23," Panay wrote, adding the hashtags for Surface.

The company this week added a new Surface laptop model but hasn't updated its signature convertible tablet in a while.

Why it matters: While still not the bulk of the Windows PC market, Microsoft's homegrown Surface products have emerged as a key means for Microsoft to promote its operating system and demonstrate its ability to rival Apple.