Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

Dutch chip giant ASML offered to spy for US after breaking export ban to China in 2023, Dutch media reported, citing a recently published book. In a statement sent to the Global Times on Monday, ASML denied the claim and hinted at possible legal action.

In 2023, after ASML violated a "gentlemen's agreement" with the US concerning how many chip-making machines the company could sell to China, the Dutch company offered to be the US' "eyes and ears" in China in an attempt to prevent further export restrictions, NL Times reported, citing a report from Financieele Dagblad, which was based on a book by former Bloomberg journalists Diederik Baazil and Cagan Koc.

In January 2023, the Netherlands and the US reached an agreement to further restrict the sale of ASML machines to China. The ban was to take effect in September 2023 and be implemented fully from January 2024. However, during that period, ASML sold far more chip machines to China than agreed with the Americans, and the Americans were furious when they discovered this, according to the NL Times' report. 

According to the book, ASML's CEO made the striking suggestion that if ASML engineers were allowed to continue serving Chinese customers, the company could provide the US with insight into what goes on behind the walls of Chinese chip factories, NL Times reported.

In the statement to the Global Times on Monday, ASML said that it is aware of the publication of a new Dutch book focused on the company which has been covered in news media and ASML does not endorse this book.

"Prior to publication of the book, we confirmed in writing to the authors that statements made in the book are highly inaccurate and damaging to our reputation, reserving our right to take any further action," the statement reads.

"Any reference relating to an offer made by ASML to any government to act on their behalf is not only factually incorrect but significantly misleading, as is any claim that ASML would or did consciously and willingly break any agreement with the Dutch, the US or any other government," it said, adding that ASML abides by all laws and regulations applicable to its business activities, and operates within the remit of any relevant export control regulations.

On January 2, 2024, when asked to comment on reports that the US asked ASML to hold shipments of lithography machines to China in advance of a ban that will be implemented later this month, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson told a routine press conference that China opposes the US' overstretching the national security concept and using all sorts of pretexts to coerce other countries into joining its technological blockade against China.

Semiconductor is a highly globalized industry. In a deeply integrated world economy, the US' hegemonic and bullying practices seriously violate international trade rules, undermine the global semiconductor industry structure, impact the security and stability of the international industrial and supply chains, and will surely boomerang, the spokesperson said.

"We urge the Dutch side to uphold an objective and fair position and market principles, respect the spirit of contract, take concrete actions to protect the shared interests of China and the Netherlands and the companies of the two countries, and safeguard the stability of the international industrial and supply chains and the free, open, fair and non-discriminatory international trade environment," the spokesperson said.