It is no news to anyone that the economic relations and the cyber war between China and the USA are gaining momentum day by day. The Wall Street Journal reports today that the devices Apple iPhones and other foreign technologies have been banned in Chinese government agencies. The use of iPhones is prohibited for government employees, who are no longer allowed to use these devices for their work activities or even bring them into office premises.
The move is a significant expansion of a long-standing policy by Beijing to reduce reliance on foreign technology in the face of foreign cyber security threats.
iPhone slides hold a majority share of high-end smartphone sales in China as rival Huawei struggles to develop competitive 5G phones following US sanctions. Since the use of the iPhone is prohibited for government officials, this measure may also have an impact outside of state institutions.
The imposition of such a sanction by China may also result in a decrease in user confidence in devices Apple, fueling rumors of possible espionage, which will lead to lower sales to customers.
It is important to note that the ban comes in a global context where relations between China and the US remain tense. The US has imposed various sanctions against China, including restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductors, in an effort to limit China's military power. At the same time, Google banned the use of the Android operating system for Huawei devices, which had a significant impact on competition in the Chinese mobile phone market.
