China is outraged by the export restrictions that the Netherlands is going to impose on chip machine manufacturer ASML. That company will no longer be allowed to sell certain machines to Chinese companies from the summer. Western countries are afraid that the Chinese will use the chips that can be made with them for the production of military equipment, such as drones.
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry spoke critically about it. “We are resolutely against the Dutch decision to restrict normal economic traffic between Chinese and Dutch companies and have filed a protest with the Netherlands.”
When asked what the export ban means for the relationship between the Netherlands and China, she kept to herself. “Of course, China will take all measures to protect our legitimate rights and interests.”
She reproached “some countries”, without naming names, for having “politicized and instrumentalized” trade relations in recent years and “forced others to introduce export restrictions against China”.
She is referring to the USA: that country has been urging the Netherlands for some time to restrict the sale of chip machines to companies in China. Prime Minister Rutte spoke about this with President Biden when he visited Washington in January.
According to Beijing, America is abusing the argument of protecting its national security in order to impose its will on other countries, including the Netherlands, at the expense of international trade. Spokesman Mao Ning warned of “serious consequences” for the global industrial supply chain and even for the development of the global economy.
At the end of January, it became clear that the Netherlands, the United States and Japan have reached an agreement on limiting the export of chip technology to China. Washington has already cut back on exports of its own chip technology to China.
The Americans were eager for the Netherlands to do the same, because of ASML’s prominent role in the development of chip machines.
Leah Kunze just graduated MBA and is proud of it. She is interested in automotive industry and innovations. She well be glad to receive a mail to leah.kunze@economicinform.com
