TECH NEWS – China has not enacted any laws or rules to ban the use of the iPhone or any other foreign phone brand, a Chinese government spokesman said Wednesday.

“We have always been open to foreign companies and welcome them to seize the opportunities and share the fruits of China’s economic development,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a news conference in Beijing.

She added that China had noticed “many media reports on the security incidents of Apple’s iPhone,” and that the country “attaches great importance to information and cyber security.”

Mao declined to give details. She also called on foreign mobile phone companies operating in China to comply with the country’s data protection laws. They should also prevent “any person or organisation” from stealing data stored on their customers’ phones.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, that China had banned the use of iPhones by central government officials. The report triggered a plunge in Apple’s shares. The stock suffered its biggest one-day loss in a month.

The White House said on Wednesday it was watching the developments “with concern”. In recent months, a growing number of US and international consultancies have been caught up in Beijing’s increasingly widespread attacks, which are seen as a national security risk.

Apple is one of the best-known and most recognised American brands in China. It is the largest foreign market for the company’s products. Sales in China accounted for about a fifth of the company’s total revenue last year. Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

The company does not disclose iPhone sales by country. However, analysts at research firm TechInsights estimate that more iPhones were sold in China last quarter than in the United States. Apple also makes the majority of its iPhones in Chinese factories.

Source: Washington Post