China Speeds Up Plan to Ditch Foreign Windows for State Agencies

China has accelerated plans to remove an older version of Microsoft's Windows operating system from state agencies, as part of its efforts to reduce dependence on foreign technology. The Chinese Ministry of State Security ordered some state-linked entities to uninstall customised Windows 10 software from their machines.

This move comes ahead of schedule and is seen as a step towards rooting out the use of Microsoft's PC software in China. The version of Windows 10 being removed was developed by C&M Information Technologies Co, a joint venture between Microsoft and state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corp.

Chinese officials have expressed concerns over data security issues with this particular version of Windows 10. Microsoft has denied any knowledge of a security incident affecting the product and stated that it continues to receive regular security updates.

The decision to accelerate the removal of this software comes as China seeks to increase its use of homemade technologies in sensitive sectors, including military and state-owned firms. Several Chinese companies have introduced their own versions of operating systems for computers to replace Windows.