China unveils first indigenous open-source computer operating system
"China's massive market for operating systems was worth 15.5 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) last year," state media says
July 06, 2023
Chinese state media reported that the country has developed its first indigenous open-source computer operating system named OpenKylin Wednesday in an attempt to further decrease its dependency on Western-built technology products.
The operating system is based on the existing open-source Linux operating system, built by a community of about 4,000 experts, using it in its space programme and industries such as finance and energy, they added.
China's massive market for operating systems was worth 15.5 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) last year, state media said, citing an industry report.
Developing an operating system independent of US technology has been an important goal for China's tech industry in recent years, with many companies and organisations having contributed to the development of the OpenKylin system.
Its most notable backer is the China Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team under the purview of the Industry and Information Technology Ministry.
More than a dozen Chinese companies are trying to develop operating systems that could replace Microsoft's Windows and Apple's MacOS operating systems.
One such company, UnionTech Software Technology Co Ltd, has been developing what it calls the "Unity operating system".
The release of the system comes just days after China said it would impose export controls on two crucial metals required to build semiconductors citing security concerns.
Exports of gallium and germanium, of which China is a major producer, will require a license from August 1, according to a guideline issued by the Ministry of Commerce and China Customs.
The final recipient of the exports and the purpose of their use will have to be specified, the text said.
The need to "preserve security and national interests" was the reason for the measures, it said.
Gallium, which is found in integrated circuits, LEDs and photovoltaic panels for solar panels, among other things, is considered a critical raw material by the European Union.
China accounted for 80% of global gallium production, according to a 2020 report by the European Commission.
Germanium, in turn, is essential for making optical fibres and infrared camera lenses, with 80% of it also coming from China, the report stated.
The export curbs follow Washington blacklists of Chinese companies in recent years aimed at cutting them off from access to American technologies, including the most advanced chips.
