on an alleged secret 2022 Chinese government directive called “Document 79,” whose purpose is to “delete America” from the Chinese tech industry.American tech giants had long thrived in China as they hot-wired the country’s meteoric industrial rise with computers, operating systems and software. Chinese leaders want to sever that relationship, driven by a push for self-sufficiency and concerns over the country’s long-term security.
Execution of Document 79 is reportedly overseen by the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission , which did not respond when asked for comment by theInsiders said the shorthand nickname for the order among Chinese executives is “Delete A,” which is short for “Delete America.” Although Document 79 was top secret, the nickname has leaked into public discourse, as some Chinese software companies explicitly offer their services to help “Delete A” from corporate systems.
Some analysts said the forced shift to domestic IT products has done significant damage to the Chinese economy. The order has also knocked eight to ten percent off the market share of U.S. computer titans like Dell and Hewlett-Packard. Even Microsoft has lost market share in China despite furious efforts to keep its operating system alive there.