CHINA BANS APPLE IPHONE, FOREIGN-BRAND SMARTPHONES FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AT WORK- WSJ

Wed 06 September 2023:

Chinese authorities have ordered central government employees to refrain from using or bringing into the workplace any gadgets bearing the Apple or other foreign brand, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The step is the latest under authoritarian rule of Chinese Communist Party led by Xi Jinping to purportedly limit flows of sensitive information outside of China’s boundaries.

The extent of distribution for these orders remains unclear, but similar messages were conveyed to employees within certain central government regulatory bodies, the report added.

China is one of Apple’s biggest markets and it accounts for 19 per cent of company’s overall revenue.

It must be noted that for years, Beijing had restricted government officials in specific agencies from using iPhones for work. But Wall Street Journal reported that now these restrictions have expanded, reflecting Beijing and Washington’s tit-for-tat actions over technology products and development.

China’s restrictions align with similar bans in the US such as those against Huawei and Chinese-owned TikTok, as both Beijing and Washington grapple with concerns over data security amid thaw in bilateral ties.

Amidst escalating rivalry with the US, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has cited national security as reason to expand state oversight of data and digital activities.

In July, China initiated an extensive update to its anti-espionage legislation.

Beijing has been encouraging its agencies and state-owned enterprises to replace foreign technology, including computers, operating systems, and software, with domestically produced alternatives deemed secure and controllable.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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