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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Chinese government is dumping Windows for some desktops.
- A Linux desktop version will replace Windows.
- The most likely candidates are Kylin OS or UOS.
According to a Bloomberg report, attributed to China’s Ministry of State Security, the country has ordered some government agencies to drop Windows 10 China Government Edition for Chinese-made Linux distributions.
Why not Windows 11? Because China, like many other non-US governments, no longer trusts American companies with their software and services. This approach is all about digital sovereignty.
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In addition, even before the recent trend of governments outside America moving away from Windows, Beijing has started a long-running push to replace foreign technology in sensitive systems with domestic, open-source alternatives.
Specifically, Chinese officials said they had data security concerns about Windows, but didn’t give any details. Microsoft told Bloomberg that “Microsoft is not aware of a security incident affecting this product, which continues to receive regular security updates.”
Windows 10 in China
Windows 10 China Government Edition is not the Windows 10 version you may still be using, even though it’s no longer supported.
The China Government Edition of Windows 10 was developed by C&M Information Technologies (CMIT), a 2016 joint venture between Microsoft and state-owned China Electronics Technology Group.
Also: France is ditching Windows for digital sovereignty – and its new Linux stack is taking shape
The build was designed to comply with Chinese government requirements, including localized activation and update arrangements, removal of certain consumer services, and support for Chinese cryptographic standards.
The specialized Chinese version of Windows was already scheduled for retirement in February 2027, but now its end-of-life date has been moved to later in 2026.
Linux replacement options
The Chinese government did not specify which Linux versions would replace Windows 10. However, the stock prices of Chinese Linux suppliers, Kylin Software and Tongxin Software Technology (commonly known as UnionTech), immediately jumped.
These companies’ respective operating systems, Kylin OS (no relation to Ubuntu Kylin) and UnionTech OS (UOS), were already positioned as domestic desktop and server replacements for Windows in government, state-owned enterprise, and critical-infrastructure environments.
Also: 5 Linux servers that let you ditch the public cloud and reclaim your privacy – for free
Kylin Software’s commercial Kylin line includes desktop, server, and specialized editions. There’s also a free, all-open-source version called openKylin that anyone can use. UnionTech’s UOS traces its desktop lineage to Deepin and the Debian Linux family. Both vendors have focused on government and enterprise deployments rather than the consumer PC market.
Kylin OS and UOS aren’t the only contenders. Huawei’s HarmonyOS 2, which began as an Android variant but is now a proprietary mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) operating system, is also being developed into a PC platform. HarmonyOS 2 won’t be deployed anytime soon. Kylin and UOS are the only mature desktops that are ready for institutional desktop deployments.
However, this transition won’t be easy. For agencies now moving off the government Windows build, the issue will be more demanding than simply swapping one desktop interface for another. Migration requires application testing, peripheral and driver validation, identity system integration, document-format compatibility, staff retraining and, in many cases, replacement or adaptation of Windows-dependent line-of-business software.
The report provides no details on exactly how this transformation will occur. But the speed of the shift suggests that these issues are already being addressed in China’s centralized managed desktop stack.
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This change to Linux doesn’t mean that there will be a nationwide ban on all Windows installations in China. Windows Home China 11, a restricted, factory-locked edition that requires you to use only Chinese, is still available.
The transition also doesn’t mean that every government body has been ordered to abandon Microsoft software. The directive’s scope remains undisclosed. Still, the writing is on the wall: China’s future government desktop will be Linux.
