China bans the use of Apple and Samsung phones in government offices and companies

As tensions rise between China and the United States, the two countries are trying to confront each other through certain measures. The United States has banned US-based chip makers from exporting advanced chips and chip manufacturing technologies to Chinese companies. As a counterattack, the Chinese government banned the use of non-Chinese smartphones in its offices.

The Chinese government may have directed its agencies and state-backed companies to ban employees from using non-Chinese phones

according to Report from Bloomberg, more Chinese agencies and state-backed companies have asked their employees to stop bringing iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, and non-Chinese smartphones to their workplaces. This will significantly reduce sales of iPhone and Samsung phones in China, the largest smartphone market in the world. Earlier, only a few states imposed this rule, and now, as many as eight states, including those in the prosperous coastal region, have banned non-Chinese phones from their offices. This means that the ban is spreading throughout China.

China is trying to move away from US-based technologies and products. The country’s government is pumping billions of dollars into semiconductor research, development and production technologies. Huawei and other local companies have witnessed a recovery in smartphone sales. Apple shares have reportedly fallen since this news regarding the ban was revealed. Even the share prices of Apple suppliers, including LG Innotek and Minebea Mitsumi, fell. iPhone sales are expected to decline, which will directly impact Apple’s revenue in the coming months and years. Since Samsung has a small market share in China, the company may not be affected to the same extent as Apple.

It is expected that this ban will unofficially reach private companies as well, as small businesses in lower-tier cities have reportedly issued their own verbal directives to stop using non-Chinese phones. While the Chinese government has officially denied banning iPhones and Samsung phones in the past, the severity of the ban will vary from agency to agency. Some government agencies may prohibit employees from using an iPhone or Samsung phone in the workplace, while others may ban them from using non-Chinese phones altogether.