China Bars Government Computers from Using Intel, AMD Chips, and Microsoft Software

China's government has made a big decision that affects the computers it buys. Starting now, it won't buy computers that have chips from Intel and AMD. It also won't use software from Microsoft, including the Windows operating system. This decision follows a law made in December. The rule applies to all government and agency computers above a certain level.

Before this, China had already stopped using Microsoft's Windows operating system in its government offices. They switched to their own system based on Linux. So, the new rule might not change much for Microsoft. But, Intel and AMD, the companies that make computer chips, could lose a lot of money because of this decision.

However, this rule is just for computers the government uses. It doesn't affect private companies or what regular people can buy. In the past, China also stopped using Apple's iPhones in government buildings. They also banned products from Micron Technology for their big projects, saying it was for security reasons. These decisions come after the United States made its own rules against China's tech companies. For example, the US stopped China's SMIC from getting certain equipment to make chips. The US also limited sales of some advanced computer chips from Nvidia to China.

Nvidia, a company that makes these advanced chips, found a way around the US limits. They made a new chip, called the H20, that follows the US rules. They started taking orders for it in early 2024 and plan to send lots of these chips to China later in the year. This situation shows how both countries are making strict rules about technology and security.


Image: DIW-Aigen

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