The Chinese government denied a report indicating it had issued a ban on iPhones and other foreign-branded devices among government officials on Wednesday, while noting government officials had identified possible security concerns surrounding Apple devices.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied earlier reports.
Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said Wednesday that China “did not issue any law, regulation or policy document that bans the purchase and use of cellphones of foreign brands, such as iPhones.”
Ning noted that the Chinese government has noticed “media reports about security issues” with iPhones and “attaches great importance to information and cyber security,” though she did not specify what issues were identified.
All companies operating in China are required to abide by the country’s laws and regulations, Ning added, in an effort to “enhance information security management, protect consumers’ data” against possible theft.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
$15.7 billion. That’s how much Apple earned in revenue in China in the third quarter, according to a financial report released last month, an increase of nearly 8% over the previous quarter.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the Chinese government had banned government officials from using Apple’s iPhone and other foreign-branded devices for work. The Journal indicated officials from central government agencies had been notified of the ban by superiors in recent weeks through workplace chat groups or in meetings. The reported ban follows a push by the Chinese government to issue strict regulations over data and information flows within and outside of China. The U.S. has similarly banned the approval of telecommunications equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies because of “an unacceptable risk” they pose to national security. Other bans on Chinese tech have also been issued over the last year, including a bill banning TikTok—owned by the Chinese firm ByteDance—from federal devices on national security grounds.
China Reportedly Bans iPhones And Other Foreign Devices Among Government Officials (Forbes)
China Bans iPhone Use For Government Officials At Work (Wall Street Journal)