YOGYAKARTA - The Chinese government asks officials not to use iPhones for work purposes or bring them in the office. Not only phones from Apple, China also prohibits the use of other foreign brand smartphones. So why does China prohibit officials from using iPhones?
In implementing the ban on using the iPhone, superiors at China's central government agency gave instructions through chat groups and meetings in recent weeks as reported by the Wall Street Journal. However, it is not yet known how widely the regulation is implemented.
The new rules run by the Chinese government will affect the trade performance of smartphone manufacturers such as Apple and others. The public is curious about the reasons why China has banned officials from using iPhones.
The ban on using the iPhone for officials in China comes before Apple's event takes place next week. It is estimated that the event will be held to launch the latest iPhone product, the iPhone 15 Series. This condition is said to trigger concerns among foreign companies operating in China due to tensions between China and the US.
The Wall Street Journal report does not mention any other smartphone brand other than Apple products. Meanwhile, the company's shares made iPhone sales decline by 0.7 percent in pre-exchange trading.
Based on information circulating, China has banned its officials from using iPhones to work for reasons to improve national security. In addition, the country led by Xi Jinping has long wanted to reduce the impact of technology from abroad.
The ban on the use of iPhones comes as relations between China and the US heat up again. Moreover, the US has also imposed sanctions on Huawei and ZTE, which are producers from China. In addition, the US has also banned employees in government agencies from using TikTok as a workforce.
In addition to the issue of international relations, China has been trying to reduce its dependence on foreign technology for more than 10 years. The government of the bamboo curtain country has asked government-related companies to switch to using local-made software and encourage domestic production of semiconductor chips.
China is intensifying the campaign in 2020, when its leaders propose the so-called 'double circulation' growth model. The campaign is being heralded to reduce dependence on foreign markets and technology in line with vigilance on data security.
In May, the Chinese government called on large state-owned companies to play a key role in its move to rely on its own technological resources. This is also done to increase betting on competition amid divisions with the United States.
Tensions between China and the US rose as Washington teamed up with its allies to block China's access to vital equipment needed to maintain the competitiveness of their chip industry. China has also tightened shipments of goods from leading US companies, including aircraft maker Boeing and chipmaker Micron Technology.
That's a review of the reasons why China has banned officials from using iPhones. This policy was carried out by the Chinese government as an effort to improve national security and make the mission successful in reducing the use of technology from abroad.
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