Microsoft China staff can't log on with an Android, so Redmond buys them iThings

Microsoft China is reportedly issuing Apple devices to employees so they can meet corporate authentication requirements, avoiding reliance on Chinese Android app stores, sideloading, or private distribution. The piece frames the move as a practical and political choice amid China’s localized app ecosystem and broader tensions, noting Microsoft’s prior accusations against China over a stolen cryptographic key, while emphasizing this is a policy decision rather than a specific cyber incident.