Security software developer Symantec Corporation denied its software has been banned in China.

The People's Daily, a state-controlled daily newspaper, said on its English Twitter page that the Chinese government has excluded Russia's Kaspersky Labs and Symantec from its list of security software providers.

Like Us on Facebook

"It is important to note that this list is only for certain types of procurement and Symantec products are not banned by the Chinese government. We are investigating this report and will continue to bid for and win government projects in China," a Symantec representative told Reuters.

In July, Symantec said it was negotiating with Chinese officials after reports Beijing had prohibited the application of data loss prevention software, one of the developer's products.

A Symantec representative said there were no signs the company's main anti-virus software applications were to be prohibited at time.

"We can see this becoming a more contentious issue over the coming months," FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives told Reuters.

Ives said the issue is another problem the software developer is already facing as it attempts to boost growth. He also said the Chinese government is making business hard for all U.S. tech providers, not just Symantec.

The Chinese procurement office also released a list of allowed anti-virus program brands on its Twitter page. The list includes Venustech, Quhoo 260 Technology Co., Beijing Jiangmin, CAJinchen and Rising. The five approved companies are all domestic firms.

The report is the newest indication Beijing is aiming to promote the use of domestic information technology software after the NSA spying allegations.

The recent indictment by Washington of five Chinese military officers on hacking charges have also put a strain on the U.S. and China, and in effect, on U.S. tech companies in China, according to The Guardian.

IBM and Cisco Systems, Inc. have also reported flagging sales in China.

TagsChinese hackers, Ban, banned, banned, US-China relations