Why China Plans to Switch 50 Million PCs from Windows to Linux

Open source community scores a major victory.

Following Germany, China now plans to abandon Windows on more than 50 million PCs and run Linux.

Germany previously switched over 25,000 PCs to Linux last year, prompting predictions that other nations might follow.

China’s recent announcement to replace Windows on over 50 million PCs aligns closely with those forecasts.

Although both countries share the same ultimate goal, their motivations differ.

Germany aims to cut licensing costs and promote open source, while China seeks to “remove foreign operating systems” to maintain the OS domestically.

This shift is a huge win for Linux and open‑source software but a setback for foreign PC manufacturers such as Dell and HP and software firms like Adobe and Microsoft, whereas domestic companies such as Lenovo, Huawei and Kingsoft may experience rapid market growth.

Bloomberg reports that if government agencies and companies replace foreign‑brand computers, Lenovo could see a substantial sales increase, reaching over 50 million PCs within two years.

However, the hope is that government agencies will truly use the domestically produced commercial Linux rather than reinstall Windows after purchase.

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