Jan 14 (Reuters) – Chinese authorities have told domestic companies to stop using digital security software from about a dozen companies in the United States and Israel due to concerns about national security, two sources briefed on the matter said.
VMware, controlled by Broadcom; Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet are among the U.S. companies whose software has been banned by Chinese authorities, while Check Point Software Technologies is among the group of Israeli companies, the sources said.
Reuters was unable to determine how many Chinese companies received the warning, which the sources said was issued in recent days.
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Chinese authorities have expressed concern that the software could collect and transmit confidential information abroad, said the sources, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the situation.
China’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication. The four companies also did not respond to questions from Reuters.
As the US and China battle for technological supremacy amid rising trade and diplomatic tensions, Beijing has been keen to replace Western-made technology with domestic alternatives.
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While its efforts to develop its semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors have dominated the headlines, China has also sought to replace Western computer equipment and word processing software.
Chinese analysts have also said that Beijing is increasingly concerned that Western equipment could be accessed by foreign powers.
(By Beijing and Shanghai Newsrooms)
