The Netherlands’ government this week announced plans to impose new restrictions on exports of semiconductor technology, joining the United States-led effort to curb chip exports to China, according to Reuters.
The news agency said the announcement marked the first concrete move by the Dutch, who oversee essential chipmaking technology, toward adopting rules urged by Washington to hobble China’s chipmaking industry and slow its military advances.
Dutch Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher announced the decision in a letter to parliament, saying the restrictions will be introduced before the summer.
In the letter, Schreinemacher writes: ‘Given the technological developments and geopolitical context, the government has concluded that it is necessary for the (inter)national security to expand the existing export controls on specific manufacturing equipment for semiconductors.’
The US introduced major export restrictions on shipments of American chipmaking tools to China. According to Reuters, for the restrictions to be effective, the US needs other key suppliers in the Netherlands and Japan, who produce key chipmaking technology, to agree. Discussions on this between the three countries have been going on for months.
Key to the latest moves is Netherlands-based company ASML, Europe’s largest tech firm and a major supplier to semiconductor manufacturers.
Reuters quoted Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning as saying that Beijing resolutely opposed the Netherlands’ decision, and that China had made representations to the Dutch on the issue.
Mao added: ‘We hope the Dutch side will adhere to an objective and fair position … act to safeguard its own interests, and not follow the abuse of export control measures by certain countries.’
Semi-conductor applications feature in all computerised devices from healthcare to military hardware. They are at the heart of the so-called chip-war between the US and China, in which China accuses the US of pushing for ‘technology hegemony’ and pressing other countries to act against China and its ‘allies’ interests’.