The Chinese government has conveyed significant disappointment regarding comments made by Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans, which pertain to a dispute over semiconductor supplies impacting the automotive industry. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce characterized Karremans’ remarks as misleading, asserting that they distort facts and suggest a biased perspective on the evolving tensions between China and the European Union.
Karremans described the ongoing semiconductor supply chain crisis as a “wake-up call” for Western leaders during a recent interview. The spokesperson emphasized that the crisis demonstrates the need for a hands-off approach in corporate operations and should not prompt administrative interference.
Tensions escalated after the Dutch government took supervisory control of Nexperia, a Chinese-owned company, citing economic security concerns. Following this decision, China imposed a global ban on the export of chips manufactured by Nexperia, which has significantly impacted the global automotive sector.
In his interview, Karremans stated that intelligence reports indicated the Chinese CEO was allegedly withdrawing intellectual property rights and relocating production from Germany to China. Nexperia, a subsidiary of the Shanghai-listed Wingtech Technology, was acquired by the firm in 2018.
In response to the Dutch government’s actions, the Chinese spokesperson described a court ruling that suspended the Chinese CEO of Nexperia as “erroneous” and linked the export ban directly to these supervisory measures. They criticized this decision as impulsive and detrimental to the global semiconductor supply chain.
A delegation from the Netherlands is set to travel to Beijing next week in an attempt to negotiate a long-term resolution to the ongoing dispute, with Karremans scheduled to visit next month for pre-arranged trade discussions.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/14/china-voices-extreme-disappointment-with-dutch-minister-at-centre-of-car-chip-row