Beijing bans AMD and Intel gear for government use

In an apparent effort to bolster domestically manufactured and designed chips, the Chinese government has started requiring government organizations to use “safe and reliable” processors. A list of approved chips so far only contains Chinese products, sidelining products from US processor firms AMD and Intel, according to a report in the Financial Times. The stricter procurement guidelines also apply to operating systems, including Microsoft Windows.

It’s not the first time that Beijing discourages the use of foreign semiconductor technology. Previously, Chinese carmakers such as BYD were asked to buy more chips locally. Officials are “instructing firms to avoid foreign semiconductors if at all possible,” sources told Bloomberg. Companies affected by these measures include NXP, STMicroelectronics and Infineon.