China orders state agencies to uninstall Windows as it cuts dependence on US tech

China is ditching Windows. The Chinese Ministry of State Security has told state agencies to uninstall the Microsoft OS and switch to domestic systems based on Linux. This move comes a few months earlier than planned as Beijing reduces its reliance on US tech.China is asking state agencies to uninstall Windows. (Photo: Reuters)China is moving away from Windows. Government officials have reportedly ordered state agencies to uninstall Windows 10 from their computers as Beijing tries to reduce its dependence on US tech. Instead, state agencies are expected to switch to domestic alternatives based on Linux.As per a report from Bloomberg, the Chinese Ministry of State Security has informed some state-linked entities to uninstall the Microsoft software. It is said that this move was driven by data security concerns, though no specific vulnerabilities were detailed.Do note that Chinese state agencies do not use the same Windows version that you may have used on your laptop or PC. Instead, they use a customised version of Windows 10, developed by C&M Information Technologies or CMIT. CMIT is a joint venture set up in 2016 between Microsoft and state-owned China Electronics Technology Group. The joint venture was set up to ensure Windows 10 complied with Beijing’s security requirements.“Microsoft is not aware of a security incident affecting this product, which continues to receive regular security updates,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Bloomberg. “We have nothing further to share." As per reports, this version of Windows 10 was originally set to be retired in February 2027. But China has decided to retire it months before the original schedule. This version, among other tweaks, allowed government users to use Chinese encryption algorithms instead of Microsoft’s standard cryptography.The move, which came weeks before US President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, reportedly surprised some state agency employees.China is moving to Linux, it is not alone The report adds that China is encouraging state agencies to switch to operating systems developed by domestic players, particularly for handling sensitive data,Several Chinese companies, including Kylin Software and Tongxin Software Technology have introduced their own versions of operating systems for computers to replace Windows. Kylin Software has developed Linux-based Kylin OS, while Tongxin has Unity OS, based on Debian, another Linux system.The order fits into a wider official push to replace imported technology in sensitive sectors, including the military and state-owned firms. Beijing began a three-year replacement of foreign PCs in government offices in 2019, and in 2022 told central agencies and state firms to remove foreign-branded computers.At least some sensitive state-affiliated entities have also banned Apple’s iPhones. In AI hardware too, China has been leaning more on Huawei Technologies Co. and Cambricon Technologies Corp. amid limited access to Nvidia Corp.’s most advanced accelerators.But China is not the only one who is moving away from Windows. In April this year, France announced that it was moving all government ministries from Windows to Linux. Other European countries including Germany, Denmark, and Austria, have also been moving away from Microsoft’s systems.Even so, Windows remains dominant in China’s consumer market. StatCounter data showed Windows accounted for 87.64 per cent of Chinese desktop web traffic in July 2026. Apart from Windows, Microsoft has built a sizable business selling AI models and cloud services to Chinese groups including ByteDance and Tencent. ByteDance alone is expected to be on track to spend more than $1 billion a year on those services.- EndsPublished By: Armaan AgarwalPublished On: Aug 19, 2026 09:50 IST