As tensions between China and the US escalate, the two countries are trying to counteract each other through certain measures. The US has banned US-based chipmakers from exporting advanced chips and chip-making technologies to Chinese companies. As a counterattack, the Chinese government has banned non-Chinese smartphones from its offices.
The Chinese government may have ordered its agencies and state-backed companies to ban employees from using non-Chinese phones
According to a report by Bloomberg, a growing number of Chinese authorities and state-backed companies have asked their employees to stop bringing their iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones and non-Chinese smartphones to work. This will drastically reduce sales of iPhones and Samsung phones in China, the world’s largest smartphone market. Previously, only a few states mandated this rule, and now as many as eight states, including those in the wealthy coastal region, have banned non-Chinese phones from their offices. This means the ban is spreading across China.
China has tried to break away from US-based technologies and products. The country’s government has pumped billions of dollars into semiconductor research, development and production technologies. Huawei and other local companies reported a rebound in smartphone sales. Apple shares have reportedly fallen since this ban news broke. Even the stock prices of Apple’s 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 as badly affected as Apple.
This ban is expected to unofficially reach private companies as well, as smaller companies in smaller cities have reportedly issued their own verbal orders to stop using non-Chinese phones. While the Chinese government has officially rejected a ban on iPhones and Samsung phones in the past, the severity of the ban will vary from agency to agency. Some government agencies may prohibit their employees from using an iPhone or Samsung phone in the workplace, while others may ban them from using non-Chinese phones entirely.
Originally posted 2023-12-18 10:38:16.