The WSJ reports that China is on an extensive push to drive out Western tech companies from the country and replace them with domestic alternatives. China reportedly started its domestic expansion in 2022 with a highly secretive “Document 79,” an initiative focused on deleting Western tech companies from the country. Since then, China’s new plan has been in full effect — domestic alternatives have replaced most Western software providers.

When initiated two years ago, Document 79 was a super sensitive document that only high-ranking officials were purportedly shown. Security was so paramount that copies of the document were not allowed to be made. The initiative set out by Document 79 is to replace foreign software in China’s IT systems by 2027, with state-owned firms required to provide quarterly updates on their progress in replacing foreign software with domestic alternatives.

Two years later, the fruits of Document 79 are now apparent. Microsoft, HP Enterprise, and Cisco’s market share in China has fallen drastically in the past several years. In 2018, HP Enterprise had a 14.1% market share in China, but in 2023, that has fallen to just 4%. Cisco’s market share has halved in the past five years down to just 8%. Microsoft’s Chinese sales today account for just 1.5% of the company’s overall sales.

  • 00x0xx@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    They’ve been using their own linux distro for years in commercial facilities. Their military has a native Chinese OS. Recent articles indicate they want to expand into using linux distros in the future.

    • TwinTusks@bitforged.space
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      8 months ago

      Trust me, no one uses linux aside from a small few. Majority of Chinese software are for windows only with little to no linux support.

      • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        There are alternatives to Microsoft Excel. It’s just they don’t have great interoperability (which wouldn’t be a giant problem if said country banned Excel outright).

        • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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          8 months ago

          LibreOffice, open office, WPS office, but is there a homegrown Chinese one? Or are they going with LibreOffice?

            • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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              8 months ago

              Oh interesting. Maybe that.

              By 2022, WPS Office reached a number of more than 494 million monthly active users and over 1.2 billion installations

              Yeah maybe. Been around since 1988.

              Though it says

              As of 2019, the Linux version is developed and supported by a volunteer community rather than Kingsoft itself.[11]