[News] China Presses EU to Step In on Nexperia, Reiterates Discontent with the Dutch

China has stepped up pressure on Europe, calling on the EU to intervene in the Nexperia dispute after claiming the Netherlands has done little to return control of the chipmaker to Wingtech. According to Reuters, China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday that it had reached an understanding with the European Union to urge Nexperia’s Dutch and Chinese subsidiaries to resolve their dispute directly, effectively bypassing the Dutch government.

The report notes that the Dutch government’s decision last week to suspend its September 30 seizure of the Chinese-owned, Netherlands-based chipmaker fell short of Beijing’s demand for a full withdrawal. The Chinese government has warned that the suspension is insufficient and that the Nexperia chip supply chain will remain unsettled until the dispute is permanently resolved.

Meanwhile, the commerce ministry’s latest statement marks the first time Beijing has pledged, together with the EU, to push for a company-level resolution, signaling its dissatisfaction with both the Dutch government and the Amsterdam-based court that stripped Wingtech of control of the chipmaker last month, the report indicates.

As cited by the report, China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao said, in remarks to EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic, that “China and the EU agree that enterprises are the primary actors in resolving the Nexperia issue.” Wang added that China expects the EU to urge the Dutch government to put forward a “constructive solution” and help create conditions for Nexperia’s conflicting units to negotiate.

Prior to this, Sefcovic wrote on the social platform X that on the 25th he had a constructive discussion with Dutch Economy Minister Vincent Karremans regarding the Nexperia case and the next steps. He stated that reaching a positive solution is in the interests of the EU and the global supply chain, according to Economic Daily News.

Wingtech Technology, the Chinese owner of Nexperia, says it has received no meaningful response after contacting the Dutch chipmaker’s headquarters for discussions. As noted by South China Morning Post, Wingtech emphasizes that although the Dutch government has paused its intervention in Nexperia, a ruling by the Dutch Enterprise Chamber that stripped Wingtech of shareholder control and removed Nexperia CEO Zhang Xuezheng remains in effect.

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(Photo credit: Nexperia)