Windows 8 banned: The Chinese government has banned the purchase of Microsoft’s Windows 8 for its computers. PC World noted that the ban came from China’s Central Government Procurement Center, which posted a brief notice last Friday on new requirements for government tenders. State-controlled Xinhua News Agency said that Microsoft ending official support for Windows XP caused the move.

“The Chinese government obviously cannot ignore the risks of running OS without guaranteed technical support,”the report from Xinhua News said.

Among the demands from the Chinese government unit was for Windows 8 to be excluded from the bidding process on computer purchases.

The reach of the Windows 8 ban is also still unclear. PC World noted that the agency could not be reached Tuesday and the new requirement only concerns government purchases for “energy-efficient” IT products, including notebooks, desktops and tablets.

Chinese officials have previously emphasized that Microsoft should lower the price of Windows. The government has also told the local press that the nation should develop its own homegrown OS to reduce reliance on foreign companies.

Despite its pronouncements, however, the government of China continues to be a major Microsoft customer. In past years, it has been working to purchase licensed software to use in government offices and move away from bootleg copies.

Microsoft said Tuesday that it was surprised to see Windows 8 referenced in the Chinese government notice indicating the ban. The Redmond tech giant also said that it was working to ensure all its software meets government procurement requirements.

“We have been and will continue to provide Windows 7 to government customers,” Microsoft notes in an email.

“At the same time we are working on the Window 8 evaluation with relevant government agencies.”

Windows 8 usage is still low in China. Less than 2 percent of the market uses the OS according to Internet analytics site CNZZ.com. The OS was mainly built for touchscreens and some have complained that the platform offers a convoluted interface that mashes together tablet and PC uses.