China blocks foreign software use in gov't

CNET ^ | August 18 2003 | CNETAsia Staff

[Feldkurat_Katz]

China blocks foreign software use in gov't

By Staff, CNETAsia
Monday, August 18 2003 10:11 AM

A new policy by China's governing body the State Council will rule that all ministries have to buy only locally-produced software at the next upgrade cycle.

The move, aimed at breaking the dominance of U.S.-based Microsoft on desktop computers, will eliminate Microsoft's Windows operating system and Office productivity suite from hundreds of thousands of Chinese government computers in a few years' time.

Gao Zhigang, an official with the Procurement Center of the State Council, told reporters that the new policy will be in place by year-end.

At a special congress held to encourage ministries to upgrade to WPS Office 2003, a China-made office productivity suite, Gao said that only hardware pre-installed with domestic operating systems and application software will be purchased by government. Those seeking exceptions will need to submit a special request.

The new policy is expected to increase the number of government officials using domestic-made office software from a third to 100 percent eventually. Gao said that the new policy is meant to support the local software industry and protect state information security.

The new policy will continue till at least until 2010. These protections are standard and are not meant to discriminate against other countries, said the Council. China is a member of the World Trade Organization and it is unclear if the new bans contravene the body's charters.

"The domestic software industry is very insulated. There is poor interaction and partnership with user companies. The increased use of domestic software will make the China software industry more open," said Fei Lin, an official with the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

The ban comes as part of China's efforts to challenge Western technology. Chinese software company Kingsoft used to take 90 percent of the market with its Chinese word processing tool, but lost nearly all market share to Microsoft Word when the product entered in the early 90s.

Experts say that the WPS system is the only product that will challenge Microsoft Office's dominance of the Chinese market.

In addition to commercial reasons for protecting local software, there are security concerns. China is placing official support behind the Red Flag Linux operating system, which they trust because the open-source code allows officials to see that there are no data spyholes installed by foreign powers. In response, Microsoft has been on a charm offensive, including granting the government inspection rights over Windows source code and creating a new CEO position for Greater China.

Recently, China rejected globally-dominant MPEG for its own audio-video compression standard, known as AVS. China is keen to move its IT infrastructure away from the dominance of Western companies and the fees levied by such firms.

ZDNet China's Zhang Xiaonan contributed to this report.

[SpaceBar]

Just a hunch, but I'd hazard to guess that they won't be auditing and pulling any code in the linux kernel or the gnu tools that didn't originate within the middle kingdom any time soon.

[StolarStorm]

They never paid for the software anyway.

[steve50]

So why don't you help us block Linux from being used inside the US government?


You mean Microsoft is any better? I would think that secret code like Microsoft would be the easier to hide suprises in

[Golden Eagle]

You're dodging the question, not surprisingly. The US government is intimately involved with what M$ is up to, including working hand in hand on many sensitive projects.

Again, since you support the Chinese decision here, why don't you call for a complete stop of Linux within the US government, it being controlled by foreigner Linus Torvalds? You don't want me to start guessing...

[Texas_Dawg]

Interesting twist.

They're only hurting themselves there. Anyway, seeing as how paleos at FR are opposed to any trade at all with China then they should be happy with China's actions here.

[joesnuffy]

that does it the gauntlette has been flung..
They dont buy our software we dont buy their underwear..
Will buy American only at WallMart

[dennisw]

Considering the backdoor potential in foreign owned software I don't blame them a bit.......

My thoughts too. Aren't there always rumors about backdoors being built into Windows operating sytems? At the request of our spy agencies, NSA, CIA etc?

[DManA]

Same thing will happen in India. Maybe not by government fiat but it will just make ecconomic sense. Who needs all those high paid morons back in the US who outsourced the life's blood of their companys?

[demlosers]

At a special congress held to encourage ministries to upgrade to WPS Office 2003, a China-made office productivity suite, Gao said that only hardware pre-installed with domestic operating systems and application software will be purchased by government. Those seeking exceptions will need to submit a special request.

Does anybody out there know the quality and functionality of this China software stuff?

[adam_az]

Can you point out exactly which parts of UNIX intellectual property IBM integrated into linux?

The kernel as at http://www.kernel.org

Please point out exactly which source files and lines contain the offending code.

Otherwise, you are just repeating baseless FUD.

[adam_az]

"The US government is intimately involved with what M$ is up to, including working hand in hand on many sensitive projects."

Can you point to a few of these "many sensitive projects?"

[steve50]

My understanding is Linux is open code, anybody can read it. How would backdoors be hidden in it?

Why would I support M$ against Linux. No expert, but I would think either could be made secure.

[fortaydoos]

Get ready for the free traitors to tell you in the long run (which I guess means 75 years or so) this will come back to bite China in the a$$ economically. Of course by then we might not have an America, but that's not really the point I guess....

[harpseal]

ping

On or off let me know.

[harpseal]

My proposal for the US Economy


In no particular order of importance.

1. Get rid of government subsidies for offshore investment of US companies. OPIC is the first such program which should go but support of World Bank programs that subsidize the outflow of Capital would be another.

2. Use tariffs on those nations which are engaged in unfair trade practices such as currency manipulation (China and India for example), those nations which refuse to open their markets to US products (China for example with its 50% tariffs on US consumer goods and non tariff barriers), those nations that subsidize competition to American Industry (airbus for example) and those nations which have slave conditions for their workers.

3. Use tariffs and other means to prevent the relocation of jobs offshore that are essential to the national defense. If necessary take control of the company seeking to export vital technology or industry by means of eminent domain (No I do not like this last option and I will only defend its use as an absolute last resort like say in the case of rare earth magnets essential to smart bomb technology).

4. An immediate end to guest worker programs. If people wish to come to the USA to work and make a life let them immigrate according to the rules.

5 Provide economic development zones where the corporate income tax is zero for operations within these zones. In order to operate in this zone a company must agree to only purchase American components if available and employ only American citizens or legal immigrants in these operations. These economic development zones shall be eventually be expanded to include every bit of every state once the benefits are shown I would like them to be totally implemented immediately but I realize4 that may be overreaching.

6. Scale back unnecessary regulation including the tort system. Institute a cap on punitive damages, limits on class action suits, and limits on liability to the actual percentage of liability with no plaintiff able to collect if said plaintiff was involved in the commission of a felony at the time of the alleged tort or was more than 49% negligent in the alleged tort. Note that the loser in a frivolous lawsuit shall pay the attorney fees of the winner. There are many other regulatory structures that also need to be included that need to be included such as repealing the Family leave mandate, getting rid of OSHA etc.

7. Increase the domestic content in purchases by the Department of defense and give absolute preference in non-domestic content to proven allies of the USA over say the French or Germans. The only reason any content for DOD purchase may come from non US allies is that content is not available elsewhere and is essential.

8. Do not allow expense involved in moving operations overseas to be included in business expenses under the IRS code.

9. Prosecute for perjury anyone who has made a false statement in order to employ an H1B or L1 visa worker. I will be lenient on the actual perjurer if he/she was ordered to make this false statement and he/she provides testimony to aid in the conviction of the person ordering the perjury. Just because a person is a CEO does not give them a pass on criminal behavior.

10. Prosecute anyone who orders the transfer of vital defense technology or funds a R&D project that could be of use to our military overseas except to strong allies of the USA. Make the necessary enhancements to our espionage laws so that continued support or funding of any R&D in a nation whose government has threatened the USA is guilty of espionage. The UK and Australia come to mind as meeting these criteria for being eligible for transfer of technology first. There will be other nations and a gradation of what can be transferred to which specific nation. Under no circumstances may technology be transferred to any nation whose government has threatened the USA within five years without a complete change of government or specific exemption from Congress and the administration.

11. Deport all illegal aliens immediately and take measures that prevent the entry of any more illegal aliens. Fine all companies knowingly employing illegal aliens Criminal sanctions should be imposed on anyone helping an illegal alien stay in the USA in violation of our laws.

12. Decrease the punishing levels of taxation on companies and eliminate the double taxation on corporate dividends. See effects of item 5 for how minimal this will be if item 5 covers the entire USA. Eliminate all IRS provisions that inhibit free use of independent contractors by businesses for example section 1706.

13. Eliminate the minimum wage so that the worker can be paid based on productivity. Overtime compensation will remain the same but instead of 150% of the "wage" the worker would receive 150% of the production pay. If one through 13 are enacted # 14 becomes an irrelevancy as no one will be working for that low a wage.

[harpseal]

Get ready for the free traitors to tell you in the long run (which I guess means 75 years or so) this will come back to bite China in the a$$ economically. Of course by then we might not have an America, but that's not really the point I guess....

Of course to the Free traitors any government entity seeking only American software is a problem too witness the howls that went up when NJ and CT proposed only Americans would be allowed to work on their projects.

[GOP_1900AD]

Also eliminated: Red Hat Linux, SuSe, Solaris, etc....

[steve50]

Aren't there always rumors about backdoors being built into Windows operating sytems?


Another thread here has the NSA distributing a secure Linux for their use. Looks like the NSA doesn't trust M$ software.

[riri]

The Chinese have a long term strategy. We don't

Well, unless you count gaining two cents on next quarters EPS numbers long term, I'd say you are right.

[yhwhsman]

I keep seeing the same kinds of responses on other Linux forums, you have guys coming in and spewing nonsense about how great Microsoft is.

You don't suppose Billy Gates has employees whose job it is to search the web and put out FUD on every forum that has a positive review of Linux? Especially when you don't usually see these same people posting on any other topic.

Yhwhsman