The prohibition comes ahead of an Apple (AAPL.O) event next week, which experts say will be about the debut of a new line of iPhones (AP)

According to sources, China has ordered officials at major government organizations not to use Apple's iPhones or other foreign-branded smartphones for work or bring them into the workplace.

The orders were sent by supervisors to their employees in recent weeks, and it was unclear how broadly the directives were spread, according to the WSJ.

China is one of Apple's most important markets, accounting for approximately one-fifth of its sales.

The prohibition comes ahead of an Apple (AAPL.O) event next week, which experts say will be about the debut of a new line of iPhones, and may cause alarm among foreign firms working in China as Sino-US tensions rise.

Other phone manufacturers beyond Apple were not included in the WSJ story. Apple and China's State Council Information Office, which handles media inquiries for the Chinese government, did not reply quickly to Reuters' requests for comment.

For more than a decade, China has been attempting to lessen its reliance on foreign technology by requiring state-affiliated enterprises such as banks to use local software and encouraging domestic chip manufacture.

As concerns about data security mounted, Beijing stepped up its campaign in 2020, proposing a "dual circulation" growth model to lessen reliance on international markets and technology.

Apple announced in January that it intends to have approximately 25% of all of its products assembled outside of China by 2025, and asked suppliers to plan product assembly in other Asian countries, like India and Vietnam.

China asked large state-owned firms (SOEs) to play a vital role in its effort to achieve technological self-sufficiency in May, upping the stakes in the race amid rifts with the US.

Huawei's latest smartphone chip deals a blow to US sanctions

Meanwhile, Huawei Technologies Co. and China's top chipmaker have developed an advanced 7-nanometer processor to power its newest smartphone, indicating that Beijing is making early gains in a countrywide attempt to avoid US efforts to stop its technological advances.

Huawei, a leading supplier of telecom gear, smartphones, and other advanced equipment, was often the target of Washington sanctions over alleged cybersecurity concerns over the past few years.

Former US President Donald Trump effectively barred American companies from doing business with Huawei. Current US President, Joe Biden, imposed further sanctions, including the ban on sales of new Huawei equipment in the United States.

Earlier, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo revealed the US would maintain its tough position on denying China cutting-edge microchips, claiming that technology advancements might be exploited to bolster the Asian nation's military capability.