Dutch decision on Nexperia draws criticism

Politicized and "camp-based" interventions by judicial or regulatory authorities can only disrupt the highly globalized semiconductor supply chain and inflict far-reaching damage on the industry, experts said, adding that such moves undermine technological progress and raise costs.

Their comments came after a Dutch court on Wednesday ordered an investigation into previous allegations of mismanagement at chipmaker Nexperia's Chinese parent company Wingtech and upheld its October ruling — restricting the Chinese owner's shareholder rights over Nexperia and suspending Nexperia's former CEO, Wingtech founder Zhang Xuezheng.

In response, China on Thursday again urged the Netherlands to create favorable conditions for resolving internal disputes at the chipmaker and to safeguard the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain.

"The root cause of the Nexperia issue lies in the Dutch side's improper administrative intervention in the company's operations," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a news conference on Thursday, adding that China will continue to support Chinese enterprises in safeguarding their rights and interests.

Wingtech also responded on Wednesday saying that it was "profoundly disappointed and strongly dissatisfied" with the latest ruling and would continue to "exhaust all legal means to restore the company's full control over Nexperia".

The Dutch government's decision to uphold the earlier ruling damages the interests of tens of thousands of employees, more than 25,000 customers as well as the global industrial chain, the company said.

The Netherlands-based Nexperia produces silicon wafers in Europe that are then shipped to its plant in China for cutting and packaging into chips.

"The semiconductor industry, by its very nature, is a quintessentially globalized sector," said Wang Wen, dean of Renmin University of China's Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies. "Camp-based" or politicized intervention, he added, will fracture supply chains and send costs soaring.

In response to developments in the case, China restricted exports of Nexperia's finished products from its facilities in the country on Oct 4, a measure that was later relaxed in an attempt to maintain global semiconductor supply chain security and stability amid a shortage in auto chip supplies.

"Only by reducing nonmarket intervention can we truly advance global technological progress and ensure that its benefits are universally shared," Wang said.

Calling the ruling "self-contradictory and logically flawed", Wingtech also urged the Dutch side to conduct a full and fair investigation, restore the truth and hold relevant personnel accountable.

"We reaffirm that the only solution to save Nexperia, stabilize the global supply chain and protect the legitimate rights and interests of all stakeholders is to immediately and unconditionally revoke all interim measures and restore Wingtech's legitimate shareholder rights," it said.

In another development, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday that China will levy countervailing duties on certain dairy products imported from the European Union starting on Friday. The ministry issued the determination after an 18-month investigation. The duties, set at rates ranging from 7.4 percent to 11.7 percent depending on the product category and exporter, will remain in force for five years, the ministry said.

Contact the writers at lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn