China says 'still a gap' in resolution with Dutch over Nexperia problem

BEIJING: A China's commerce ministry spokesperson said on Thursday (November 20) it welcomed the Dutch government's decision to suspend its seizure of Chinese-owned, Netherlands-based chipmaker Nexperia, but there is “still a gap from a complete solution”.

AI Brief

China blames the Netherlands for disruptions in global semiconductor supply chains.
Dutch government took control of Nexperia to prevent operations moving to China.
China welcomed Dutch easing but wants full withdrawal of the administrative order.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson He Yongqian said the Netherlands is responsible for the current turbulence in the global semiconductor supply chains and urged the Dutch to swiftly resolve the issue.

A move by the Netherlands to step back from taking control of computer chipmaker Nexperia was welcomed by China on Wednesday (November 19) as a "first step in the right direction" to easing chip supply shortages, following talks between the two governments.

However, China said that the move fell short of what it had hoped for, namely a withdrawal of the administrative order that triggered the Dutch intervention.

The Dutch government took control of Nexperia on Sept. 30, saying the move was necessary to prevent the company's former CEO from moving European operations to China from its current base in the Netherlands. In response, Beijing halted exports of Nexperia's finished products on Oct. 4, a measure it has since partly relaxed.