China does have a different viewpoints in certain things, as evident by the lack of Google Maps support in the navigation system of the Tesla Model S rides sold there. This time around, we have word of a rather strange development – that China has decided to ban both Symantec of America as well as Kaspersky Lab from Russia, from their current list of approved software vendors among government agencies.
After the dust from the ban settles, there are only five different companies that would have made it to the list, and it is no surprise at all that all five of those companies happen to be Chinese – where they are Qihoo 360 Technology Co, Venustech, CAJinchen, Beijing Jiangmin and Rising. This particular move points to China’s focus upon further restricting use of foreign software among its elite.
Earlier this year, China’s Central Government Procurement Center did lay down the banhammer on Windows 8 from its list of approved software. Do you see this as a form of retaliation against the United States, especially after the U.S. charged five members of the Chinese military with criminal charges, citing both economic and cyber espionage? It is hard to say, since close ally Russia is also involved indirectly in this latest round of bans.