China smartphone maker Huawei looks to become the official phone of China as first Apple, and now Samsung, have been banned for use by government officials.

Like Apple’s iPhone that was banned last August, the Chinese government is citing security concerns with Samsung phones, reports Phone Arena. The ban gives a boost to local phone makers such as Huawei and Xiaomi.

Long accused of spying for the Chinese government, Huawei has also been the victim of spying from the US National Security Association (NSA). The details were revealed by former NSA contractor and whistle-blower Edward Snowden, reported PC World.

Meanwhile, Taiwan is considering banning Xiaomi phones after a Finnish security company showed the company’s phones were surreptitiously collecting and sending address book contacts, reported Reuters. Xiaomi has also been accused by the Hong Kong media of sending copies of text messages to the mainland, an accusation it denies.

A shift away from Western-developed technology seems to be widening in China. The ban on Apple and Samsung smartphones for official use follows the ban on Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system at a time when China is busy developing its own Linux-based operating system.

Photo: Candou