China's distrust of US technology companies is coming to a head with this week's ban on government use of Apple's MacBooks and iPads.

The Chinese government procurement list has already excluded 10 of Apple's products, in addition to products from Microsoft, Symantec, and even Kaspersky.

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants his country to develop its own technologies. "Only if core technologies are in our own hands can we truly hold the initiative in competition and development," he said in June. "Only then can we fundamentally ensure our national economic security, defense security and other aspects of security."

China's crackdown on US tech companies began with Edward Snowden's revelations regarding NSA surveillance. In a similar move, the US previously classified Chinese firms ZTE and Huawei as national security threats.