The Dutch government has taken control of Chinese-owned computer chipmaker Nexperia, intensifying tensions with Beijing amid a global dispute over technology and intellectual property.
The government announced late on Sunday that it had intervened in Nexperia, headquartered in Nijmegen, citing concerns over the possible transfer of technology to its Chinese parent company, Wingtech. The Hague invoked its rarely used “Availability of Goods Act,” granting the state powers to block or reverse management decisions it deems harmful to national interests.
The decision, which does not involve direct ownership of Nexperia, triggered a 10% drop in Wingtech’s shares on the Shanghai stock exchange on Monday. Nexperia manufactures chips for cars and consumer electronics and is one of the world’s largest producers of basic semiconductors such as diodes and transistors, while also developing advanced “wide gap” chips used in electric vehicles, chargers, and AI data centres.
Wingtech described the Dutch move as “excessive interference driven by geopolitical bias” and accused non-Chinese Nexperia executives of attempting to alter the company’s equity structure through legal manoeuvres. A commercial court ruling dated October 7 suspended Wingtech CEO Zhang Xuezheng as Nexperia’s executive director, citing doubts about proper management practices. Dutch businessman Guido Dierick was appointed to replace him with a deciding vote, while control of most of Nexperia’s shares was transferred to a Dutch lawyer.
The Dutch government said administrative problems at Nexperia posed a threat to “crucial technological knowledge” and to European economic security. Wingtech has faced similar scrutiny elsewhere, with the U.K. ordering it to divest ownership of a facility in Newport and the U.S. placing it on an entity list in 2024 for alleged involvement in acquiring sensitive semiconductor capabilities.
