China has ordered officials at central government officials to refrain from using Apple iPhones and other foreign-branded smartphones for work, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
It was unclear how broadly the orders were being disseminated after government heads recently gave the directions to their subordinates.
China has implemented new legislation and compliance standards for companies in recent years as a result of growing concern over data security.
In May, China raised the stakes in the race to achieve technological self-reliance amid tensions with the United States by urging large state-owned firms to play a crucial role.
Tensions between the United States and China are at an all-time high as Washington works with allies to deny China access to crucial technology necessary to maintain the competitiveness of its semiconductor sector, and Beijing blocks shipments from well-known American companies like planemaker Boeing and chip manufacturer Micron Technology.
The most recent Chinese limitation is a replica of comparable US restrictions placed on Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei and TikTok, a platform for short videos owned by China’s ByteDance.
Nearly one-fifth of Apple’s income comes from one of its largest market, China.
