BEIJING, Feb. 23 -- Tencent will join hands with other IT giants to "build a hedge" against potential Internet attacks for Chinese users after Windows XP shutdown on April 8.

Tencent, along with Kingsoft, Sogou and other Internet service providers, will give technical assistance for Windows XP users for system upgrades and risk defense, said Ding Ke, a senior manager of Tencent.

The companies will start the protection before the shutdown and the "hedge" will continue during a transition period that may last for two to three years or even longer.

"The up-coming shutdown will serious affect Chinese users," said Ding, adding that more than one quarter of China's computers are running the operating system.

Microsoft announced earlier that it will stop providing technical assistance for Windows XP after April 8, and computers will still work but they might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.