China has introduced new procurement guidelines to phase out personal computers (PCs) and servers equipped with microprocessors from American companies such as Intel and AMD in its government agencies.
According to major foreign media reports on the 24th, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) unveiled new guidelines for government computer and server procurement on December 26 last year.
The new procurement guidelines instruct government agencies and Party organizations at the county level and above to purchase "safe and reliable" processors and operating systems (OS).
The guidelines also include recommendations to exclude foreign OS and database software, including Microsoft (MS) Windows, and to use Chinese products instead.
On the same day, the China National Information Technology Security Evaluation Center (CNITSEC) released a list of "safe and reliable" OS and central processing units (CPUs). The list included Huawei, China's largest telecommunications equipment company, and Phytium (Feitong), a CPU design company, both of which are subject to U.S. sanctions and are Chinese companies.
Foreign media analyzed that the Chinese government is following the U.S. measures that replace foreign technology products with domestic ones and restrict the use of Chinese IT products in government-related agencies.
Last year, China accounted for 27% and 15% of Intel's and AMD's sales, respectively. Foreign media predict that China's move to phase out foreign hardware will deal a blow to these companies.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
