China bans foreign computers, OS in government offices

Linux could replace Windows in China.

Dimapur, May 6 (EMN): In a move to encourage the use of homegrown hardware and software, Beijing has ordered its central government agencies and state run firms to replace PCs from overseas brands with homegrown alternatives.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Chinese central government officials ordered government agencies and state-owned and state-backed businesses to stop using foreign-branded computers and software within two years and replace them with locally manufactured hardware and software.

This mandate will require the Chinese government to replace at least 50 million computers. The move is part of a ten-year effort to replace everything from semiconductors to networking equipment and phones with domestically manufactured technology.

Beijing might be able to replace its hardware with local alternatives, however, it is the software that it will find hard to replace. From content creation to computer aided design tools, these software applications are highly specialised and therefore, have no alternatives with similar capabilities and features. Sure, you can replace Windows with Linux, but what about the applications for specialised work like editing and design?

This isn’t the first time China has tried to pull off something like this. Back in 2019, Beijing issued a similar order for all government offices and public institutions to dump foreign PCs and programs within three years. The move has largely failed, which is why the Chinese government had to re-issue the order prolonging the transition period to 2024.

Despite the directive, it is quite likely that most Chinese state-owned and state-backed companies will get special permits to keep using foreign hardware and software.

However, the news does not bode well for PC OEMs, including Dell, HP, Microsoft and Apple. Bloomberg reports that the current directive will only apply to PC brands and not “hard-to-replace” components like CPU and GPUs. On the other hand, local manufacturers Lenovo and Inspur saw their stock prices soar on mainland Chinese exchanges.