China urges Netherlands to take ‘concrete actions’ in Nexperia chip case

ISTANBUL

China on Saturday urged the Netherlands to put forward “constructive plans” and take “concrete actions” in solving the Nexperia chip case, state-run Xinhua News reported.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce made the remarks following a statement issued on Thursday by Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans regarding the semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia, an overseas subsidiary of the Chinese company Wingtech.

Karremans stated that "the Netherlands will remain in close contact with the Chinese authorities" and expressed satisfaction with China's decision to allow supplies from Nexperia's Chinese facilities to resume.

In response, the Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said Beijing has noted the statement, adding that China has not seen any “practical actions taken by the Dutch side to stop infringing upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.”

On Nov. 1, China announced it would grant export exemptions to eligible enterprises, the spokesperson said, noting that the Netherlands is responsible for the current disruption in the global semiconductor supply chain.

“The Netherlands should put forward substantive and constructive proposals and take practical actions to effectively restore the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain at its source,” the spokesperson added.

Beijing imposed an export ban on chips produced by the company’s factories in China, following the Netherlands’ move on Sept. 30 to take temporary control of Nexperia under a 1952 law that allows the Dutch government to block or reverse company decisions that could endanger national or European production.

Karremans has defended the Netherlands’ position by citing concerns that “crucial technological knowledge and capabilities” could leave Europe.

Nexperia, headquartered in the Dutch city of Nijmegen, produces simple but essential chips used in cars and household electronics. The firm was acquired in 2019 by China’s Wingtech Technology.