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Chip manufacturer Intel's sales stand in Beijing: displacement at full speed
Photo: Andy Wong / dpa
China is apparently starting to purge its internal government information technology of foreign parts. As the Financial Times reports, the country's authorities have started replacing computers with processors from US companies AMD and Intel.
According to the report, this implements a corresponding directive from December. This stipulates that criteria for “safe and reliable” processors and operating systems must be taken into account when purchasing computers. Intel and AMD did not initially comment on the report.
The Microsoft Windows operating system and database software manufactured abroad should also be replaced by domestic alternatives. At the same time, the changeover in state-owned companies is also being pushed forward. As the "FT" reports, citing insiders, government authorities and state-owned companies are currently given a certain degree of flexibility when purchasing computers with foreign processors.
China – like other countries – has been working for several years to push key technologies from abroad out of its authorities. According to previous reports, officers were also ordered to stop using iPhones at work.
The USA is trying to use restrictions to prevent China from obtaining highly developed chips that could also be used for military purposes. China is trying to develop its own chip technologies in the face of US measures - and has recently presented some progress.
fek/dpa