Nexperia: China calls for the reversal of the Dutch expropriation
On 09 November, China lifted the export control on chips produced by a Chinese-owned Dutch located semiconductor firm Nexperia. The decision came as a relief to global automakers who were concerned about the supply chain of critical chips used in the production of most technologies. Additionally, China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao pushes Germany to urge the Dutch government to revoke its seizure of Nexperia. Wang told the German Minister of Economic Affairs, Katherine Reiche, “China hopes Germany will play an active role in urging the Dutch government to take practical steps as soon as possible to correct its erroneous practices, revoke the relevant measures, and promote an early resolution of the issue.” To which Reiche responded that they will not comment on other countries’ bilateral ties but notes that they are in close contact with the Dutch partners.
About Nexperia
Nexperia is a global semiconductor company with its headquarters in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The firm is also a subsidiary of Wingtech, a Shanghai-based company that the Chinese government, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), partially owns. They have front-end factories in Germany and England as well. Nexperia sells high-volume semiconductors, including diodes, bipolar transistors, MOSFETs, logic ICs, and ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection devices. These are the main components used for a wide variety of mobile, electronic, industrial and automotive products. In 2023, Dutch broadcasters Nederlandse Omroep Stichting were being used for Russian military kits, despite the sanctions due to the Russia-Ukraine war. In 2024, some of the firm’s intellectual property was stolen as it faced a ransomware attack. In 2025, the Dutch government announced the seizure of Nexperia.
Why did the Dutch government seize Nexperia?
The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs announced in October 2025 that they are in control of Nexperia. The reason they stated was a national security threat; the Wingtech founder Zhang Xuezheng was found sharing trade secrets from its office in Manchester with China. Under this, the Dutch government granted itself the power to intervene in company decision-making, and during this period, Nexperia could not transfer assets or hire executives without the approval of the Dutch government. The government said their actions were based on the shortcomings of the company, which “threaten the continuity and safeguarding of crucial technological knowledge and capacity on Dutch and European soil.”
An Annotated Bibliography
Sharinee L. Jagtiani, “The Nexperia Wake-Up Call: Can Europe Secure Its Tech Future Amid China-US Rivalry?” The Diplomat, 13 November 2025
https://thediplomat.com/2025/11/the-nexperia-wake-up-call-can-europe-secure-its-tech-future-amid-china-us-rivalry/
The op-ed by Sharinee reflects on the influences of US-China rivalry and the repercussions on Europe’s tech future. The author said: “For Europe, the Nexperia case offers a sobering tale for the future of European technological competitiveness, as the geopolitical myopia of European critical technology firms collides with the intensifying pressure of the China-U.S. rivalry.” The op-ed also notes that the investments of Nexperia did not trigger any investment review, and Wingtech was part of China’s Little Giants Program, which says a lot. These programs support companies to be part of China’s ambition of tech self-reliance. The author then suggests how Europe can secure its technological ecosystem by assessing critical dependencies and diversifying dependencies is the key to any pursuit of technological sovereignty.
Bheki Gila, “The Nexperia Folly: How the Dutch miscalculated on China again,” IOL, 08 November 2025
https://iol.co.za/sundayindependent/dispatch/2025-11-04-the-nexperia-folly-how-the-dutch-miscalculated-on-china-again/
Gila questions the Dutch government’s move to take over Nexperia. The author notes that the expropriation was unprovoked and based on “some contrived perception that this Chinese wholly owned subsidiary, headquartered in the Netherlands, will someday weaponise the supply of chips critical to the automotive manufacturing supply chains to the detriment of Europe in general and the Netherlands in particular. Importantly, the most pressing fear expressed in hushed tones was that Chang was planning to move the headquarters of Nexperia to China.” Gila then questions the act used to impose this takeover, stating the act was not designed to combat alleged corruption, including the justification by the Dutch authorities was not rational.
Mohammed Tmimi, “Europe’s Nexperia Move: A Self-Inflicted Supply Shock,” EETimes, 07 November 2025
https://www.eetimes.eu/europes-nexperia-move-a-self-inflicted-supply-shock/
Tmimi called this decision by the Dutch based on what it really intended to achieve, which is chip resilience. But this move by the Dutch government led to an immediate supply crunch by blocking the components that kept the European manufacturers running. Tmimi said: “Europe was first to cut off its own supply chain, increasing dependence on Chinese decision-making and weakening its industrial and automotive base at a time of already-fragile competitiveness.” Tmimi suggested that the Dutch acted under the US directions, where the court filing showed that the American officials asked Dutch regulators to remove the Wingtech founder.
