Key Points
- China accused the Netherlands of causing “turmoil and chaos” in the global semiconductor supply chain.
- The accusation follows the Dutch government’s seizure of the chipmaker Nexperia. Nexperia is a Dutch company owned by China’s Wingtech.
- China’s commerce ministry said the Netherlands “acted alone” and urged it to stop interfering in business affairs.
- Beijing is calling on the Dutch government to find a “constructive solution” to the situation.
China’s commerce ministry fired back at the Netherlands on Tuesday, blaming the country for causing “turmoil and chaos” in the global semiconductor production and supply chain. The strong statement came after the Dutch government seized the computer chipmaker Nexperia.
The ministry accused the Netherlands of having “acted alone” in its decision to take control of the company. It urged the Dutch government to stop interfering in what it called “the internal affairs of enterprises” and to work towards finding a “constructive solution” for the situation. Nexperia is a unit of the Chinese technology company Wingtech.
This public condemnation from Beijing raises the stakes in a growing dispute over a critical technology sector. Nexperia is a major producer of basic, but essential, chips used in a wide range of products, most notably in the automotive industry. Any disruption to its operations can have significant ripple effects, leading to production delays and supply shortages for carmakers and other manufacturers worldwide.
China’s accusation that the Netherlands is creating chaos suggests that Beijing views the seizure not just as a corporate matter, but as a deliberate move that threatens the stability of the global tech ecosystem. The Chinese government is now publicly pressuring the Netherlands to reverse its course or find a diplomatic way out of the conflict.
The move by the Dutch government is the latest development in the escalating global technology rivalry, particularly in the semiconductor industry. The Netherlands, home to key players in the chip supply chain, has become a central battleground in the tech competition between the United States and China. This seizure of a Chinese-owned company on Dutch soil is a significant escalation and puts both Nexperia and its parent company, Wingtech, in a precarious position.
