China’s technological landscape is about to take a huge shift. According to a report by Bloomberg News, many agencies and state firms across the country have issued guidelines to their employees to refrain from using foreign-made devices, including the Apple iPhone in the workplace.
This follows a report from earlier when the Chinese government agencies asked their employees not to use Apple phones to reduce their usage of foreign-made devices. This guideline encouraged state firms, including banks to adopt and use locally developed software. Also, there has been a big effort to increase the manufacturing of domestic semiconductor chips, an important component in many electronic devices.
The Bloomberg news report suggests that many state firms and government agencies across at least eight provinces have directed their employees to start using local brands in the past two months. This indicates the technological self-reliance of China. Employees in at least three ministries and government bodies in China were advised against using iPhones in September.
But this trend is wider than other big corporations in high-tier cities. In December, smaller agencies in low-tier cities like Zhejiang, Shandong, Liaoning, and central Hebei also issued similar guidelines. While central Hebie has the world’s largest iPhone factory, it highlights the significance of these measures.
Apple is trying to expand its supply chain from China by trying to manufacture devices in India. Tata Group has started to contribute towards the same by owning the Wistron Apple iPhone assembly in Karnataka. According to some reports, they are preparing to build another iPhone assembly in Tamil Nadu which will be the biggest in India and aims to employ around 50,000 people.
