INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
China ordered officials at central government agencies not to use Apple&s iPhones and other foreign-branded devices for work or bring them
into the office, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.In recent weeks, staff were given the
instructions by their superiors in workplace chat groups or meetings, according to the report, which added that it wasn&t clear how widely
the orders were being distributed.The ban comes ahead of an Apple (AAPL.O) event next week that analysts believe will be about launching a
new line of iPhones, and could trigger concerns among foreign companies operating in China as Sino-U.S
tensions escalate.The WSJ report did not name other phone makers besides Apple (AAPL.O)
Apple and China&s State Council Information Office, which handles media queries on behalf of the Chinese government, did not immediately
respond to Reuters& requests for comment.The iPhone maker&s shares fell 0.7% in premarket trading.For over a decade, China has been seeking
to reduce reliance on foreign technologies, asking state-affiliated firms such as banks to switch to local software and promoting domestic
semiconductor chip manufacturing.Beijing ratcheted up this campaign in 2020, when its leaders proposed a so-called &dual circulation& growth
model to reduce reliance on overseas markets and technology, as its concerns over data security grew.In May, China urged big state-owned
enterprises to play a key role in its drive to attain self-reliance in technology, raising the stakes in the race amid rifts with the United
tensions have been high as Washington works with allies to block China&s access to vital equipment needed to keep its chip industry
competitive, and Beijing restricts shipments from prominent U.S
firms including planemaker Boeing (BA.N) and chip company Micron Technology (MU.O).The post China bans government officials from using
iPhones for work first appeared on Ariana News.
