A logo of Nexperia Photo: VCG

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a video meeting with UK business minister Peter Kyle on Thursday at the latter's request, during which they conducted in-depth exchanges on the Nexperia issue, according to a statement on the Ministry of Commerce website.

The responsibility of the issue lies with the Netherlands, Wang stressed, while urging the Netherlands to truly shoulder responsibility and expedite efforts to help Nexperia and related enterprises resolve internal disputes through dialogue and legal means, and create more conducive conditions for restoring the security and stability of the global semiconductor supply chain, which remains fragile, per the statement.

The administrative order issued by Dutch Economic Affairs Minister and the erroneous court ruling pushed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs are the root causes of the turmoil and instability of the global semiconductor industrial and supply chains, Wang said.

China, acting in good faith, has implemented exemptions for civilian-use exports in compliance with regulations, which has alleviated the global semiconductor industrial and supply chain crisis, Wang said, noting that the Netherlands' suspension of administrative order regarding Nexperia is the first step toward the right direction of appropriately solving the issue.

Kyle expressed gratitude for China's briefing on the Nexperia issue and China's efforts in restoring the global semiconductor industrial and supply chains. The UK side also believes that the long-term solution lies in enterprises resolving internal disputes through consultations. The UK is willing to engage with the Dutch side to jointly promote the swift restoration of security and stability in the global semiconductor supply and industrial chains, according to the MOFCOM statement.

The Chinese side welcomes the Dutch government's move to suspend its administrative order regarding semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia, but it still falls short of completely resolving the issue, He Yongqian, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said on Thursday, urging the Dutch side to show sincerity and take concrete action to push for early resolution of the Nexperia issue.

He Yongqian made the comments in response to a question seeking more information on a Dutch government delegation's Beijing visit earlier this week to seek a solution to the Nexperia dispute. 

"I want to emphasize that the root cause and responsibility for the current global semiconductor supply chain disruptions comes from the Dutch side," He Yongqian said.

On Wednesday, the Dutch government said that it was suspending its intervention at computer chipmaker Nexperia after what it said were constructive meetings with China.
"This is the first step toward the right direction of appropriately solving the issue, but it still falls short of completely resolving the issue," the spokesperson said, urging the Dutch side to continue to show sincerity for cooperation and take concrete actions to swiftly and effectively solve the issue surrounding Nexperia and restore the security and stability of global semiconductor chains.

"Global semiconductor manufacturing involves the most expansive global division of labor, with both China and the EU taking important positions. Any efforts by the European side to harm the secure and smooth operation of the global semiconductor supply chains will have a significant impact on Europe," Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The incident shows that China and the EU enjoy enormous cooperation potential in the basic semiconductor industrial chain, Xiang said.

"We believe the continued success of the semiconductor industry depends on collaboration and innovation across all players in the value chain, and we are proud to contribute to this global ecosystem," ASML China told the Global Times in a recent interview.

China remains an important part of the global semiconductor industry and a key market for ASML's long-term development. According to the company's recent third-quarter financial results, it projected that China will account for more than 25 percent of ASML's total sales in 2025.

In May, the MOFCOM held a meeting on deepening cooperation in the semiconductor sector between China and Europe.

The attendees included representatives of the China Semiconductor Industry Association and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, as well as more than 40 semiconductor enterprises from both sides. The meeting stressed that China and Europe occupy critical positions in the global semiconductor supply chain. Strengthening collaboration in this field aligns with the shared interests of both sides.