【By Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】Chinese semiconductor enterprises have been "plundered" in the Netherlands, from the Dutch side's "there is no silver here," to subsequent exposed court documents, all point to — the United States has long incited the Netherlands to act in a covert manner.

However, as the saying goes, "those who do evil will eventually perish." Some Western countries with a bandit nature are now "throwing stones at their own feet."

According to Reuters on October 16 local time, several major automotive manufacturing organizations in Europe and the United States warned that night that the chip supply disruption caused by the dispute between China and the Netherlands may quickly affect American car production. The report emphasized that the chips produced by Anwell Semiconductor Holding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China's leading semiconductor company, Winbond Technology, are crucial to the production of parts and automobiles in the United States.

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) stated that multiple automakers and their suppliers received notifications from the chip manufacturer Anwell Semiconductor last week, stating that it could no longer guarantee chip deliveries. ACEA warned that the automotive industry may face serious disruptions as a result.

In the United States, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI), which represents almost all major automakers such as General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, and Hyundai, also urged a prompt resolution of this issue.

John Bozzella, CEO of AAI, said: "If the shipment of auto chips cannot be quickly restored, this will disrupt the production of cars in the United States and many other countries, and have a severe spillover effect on other industries." Some car manufacturers told Reuters that U.S. car factories might be affected as early as next month.

It is reported that the chips produced by Anwell Semiconductor are crucial to the production of parts and automobiles in the United States. Photo.

Recently, China's leading semiconductor enterprise, Winbond Technology, has encountered significant regulatory challenges internationally. Its core assets in the Netherlands, Anwell Semiconductor, were frozen for one year starting from September 30 due to instructions from the Dutch government, including assets and intellectual property.

At the same time, some foreign executives of Anwell Semiconductor even requested the court to initiate an investigation into the company and suspend the duties of the CEO appointed by the parent company, Winbond Technology. The Dutch government also required the appointment of a foreign director with decisive voting rights and to entrust all shares of Anwell Semiconductor (excluding one share) to personnel later designated and announced.

The Financial Times directly pointed out that the Dutch government's move will intensify the friction between Western countries and China in the field of high-end technology. Media outlets such as Bloomberg also warned that this unusual action will further escalate Sino-European tensions.

Winbond Technology issued a statement on the evening of October 12 local time, strongly pointing out that the Dutch government, under the pretext of "national security," imposed a global operational freeze on Anwell Semiconductor, which was an excessive intervention based on geopolitical bias. Winbond Technology expressed strong protest against this discriminatory treatment of Chinese enterprises.

Public information shows that Anwell Semiconductor is headquartered in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and is the core semiconductor business foundation of Winbond Technology. It focuses on discrete devices and logic devices. Its predecessor was a department of NXP Semiconductors, independently operated since 2017, and was fully acquired by Winbond Technology in 2019, becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winbond Technology. In 2024, Anwell Semiconductor's revenue reached approximately 14.7 billion yuan, accounting for about one-sixth of Winbond Technology's total revenue that year.

Looking at the timeline, the recent series of operations are hard not to suspect a carefully planned "plunder": the United States and the Netherlands have always closely cooperated in the field of chip industry export controls. Just a day before the Dutch government took action, on September 29 local time, the U.S. government had just released a penetrating export control rule, imposing equal-level export controls on its subsidiaries listed on the "Entity List" that hold more than 50% equity.

The Financial Times also noted that the Dutch government's actions "followed closely behind the U.S. side"; Bloomberg further pointed out that the Trump administration had recently expanded the scope of sanctions, highlighting the increasingly stringent scrutiny facing Chinese enterprises in sensitive industries.

However, the explanation from a spokesperson of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs has a flavor of "there is no silver here." This spokesperson insisted that the United States did not participate in the Dutch decision regarding Anwell Semiconductor. Reuters mentioned that the spokesperson also claimed that the timing of this action was "purely coincidental."

An employee walks through the clean room of Anwell Semiconductor. Visual China.

On October 14 local time, the South China Morning Post reported that court documents made public by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal showed that in June this year, the U.S. notified Dutch officials that they would expand the scope of the "Entity List," extending the sanctions to subsidiaries that hold more than 50% of the equity of the listed entities. Winbond Technology fully controlled Anwell Semiconductor through a series of capital operations between 2018 and 2020, and was listed on the U.S. "Entity List" in December of last year. The U.S. warned the Dutch government that if Anwell Semiconductor wished to apply for exemption from the list, it must replace its leadership.

On June 5, the Dutch side conveyed to Anwell Semiconductor after talks with the U.S. side, stating that if the company applied for an exemption, the U.S. would "specifically consider mitigation measures."

In further discussions on June 12, the U.S. added, "We can understand that it takes time to divest equity... but the CEO of the company is still a Chinese national, which is a problem. It is almost certain that, to obtain an exemption, the CEO must be replaced."

Alexandre Ferreira Gomes, a researcher at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael Institute), warned Bloomberg that China is likely to take countermeasures.

"There are reasons to expect that China's countermeasures will target a broader European semiconductor industry, rather than just Dutch companies operating in China," he said.

After the incident was exposed, the Chinese side strongly condemned the Dutch action. On October 14, the China Semiconductor Industry Association issued a statement expressing "firm support" for Winbond Technology's legal defense and opposing the abuse of the concept of "national security" to impose selective discrimination against Chinese enterprises abroad.

The China-EU Chamber also condemned the Dutch government's actions as "modern economic piracy driven by geopolitical calculations," urging the Dutch government to "immediately revoke the wrong decision and restore a rational, cooperative environment."

According to the website of the Foreign Ministry, on October 15, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian presided over a regular press conference. AFP reporter asked, after the Dutch government took over the chip manufacturer Anwell Semiconductor on the grounds of national security, the company issued a statement on the 14th, stating that China has banned the company from exporting products from China. Can the Foreign Ministry confirm this?

Lin Jian said that the specific situation of this question should be consulted with the relevant Chinese authorities. I would like to reiterate again that China has always opposed the generalization of the concept of national security and the adoption of discriminatory practices against enterprises of specific countries. Relevant countries should truly abide by market principles and not politicize trade and economic issues. China's determination to safeguard its legitimate and proper rights and interests is unwavering.

According to the official Weibo account of the Ministry of Commerce's International Business News, on October 16, the Ministry of Commerce held a regular press conference. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, He Yongqian, stated that the Chinese side is aware of the relevant situation and firmly opposes the Dutch government's generalization of the concept of national security and direct interference in internal corporate affairs through administrative means. The Dutch government's move not only violates the spirit of contract and market principles, but will also severely damage the business environment in the Netherlands, harming both sides.

He Yongqian further stated that the U.S. penetration rules are the original perpetrators of harm to Chinese enterprises. Hope the Dutch government can uphold independence and autonomy, and start from maintaining Sino-Dutch trade and economic relations and maintaining the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain, respect objective facts, adhere to the spirit of contract and market principles, correct the wrong approach, effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese investors, and create a fair, transparent, and predictable business environment. The Chinese side will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562093220168024576/

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