China has announced that it will forbid the installation of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system (OS) on government computers, a move that looks to ensure computer security in the wake of Microsoft dropping support for Windows XP.

All desktops, laptops and tablet PCs that are purchased by state organs must use an OS other than Windows 8, according to an online statement by the Central Government Procurement Center.

The measure only targets computers used by government offices, while the personal computer market is expected to stay unaffected.

Currently, most government computers run Windows XP, which has a 70-percent market share in China. However, Microsoft ended support for this 13-year-old system on April 8, citing safety concerns and appeals for domestically designed OS. China has also pledged to focus on the development of its own OS, which is to be based on Linux.