Dutch unilateral actions in the semiconductor dispute have caused global shock, and the deadlock has lasted more than a month. Finally, the Netherlands sent envoys to China to seek reconciliation. However, before even departing, the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs made another bold statement, saying that if given the chance again, he would still take action against China.

The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Karel de Gucht

Recently, the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Karel de Gucht, announced that next week, the Dutch government will send an "high-level delegation" to Beijing to discuss solutions regarding the issue of NXP Semiconductor. After more than a month of deadlock, the Netherlands finally could not withstand the pressure, and on the surface it seems to be discussing solutions, but in reality, it is just visiting to seek reconciliation.

After the Dutch government unilaterally announced the "takeover" of NXP China, China imposed strict controls on the export of NXP Semiconductor products. Due to NXP's important position in the global semiconductor supply chain, the "cut-off" triggered a global semiconductor crisis. Not only Europe, but countries around the world have confronted the Netherlands, demanding that the Dutch government actively negotiate with China.

Faced with the crisis, China, in a responsible manner, decided in early November that enterprises meeting the conditions could continue to produce products from NXP China, but the Netherlands has yet to withdraw its "takeover" of NXP Semiconductor. It was hoped that this time, the Netherlands' proactive visit would indicate that they had realized their mistake, but this minister's words once again shocked everyone.

NXP Semiconductor

Just after announcing the news of the Dutch delegation's visit to China, Karel de Gucht showed a completely different attitude in an interview. He claimed that this incident once again made the world realize the dependence on China, which is a good thing. Karel de Gucht tried to present this dispute as an "economic thriller", reminding people of the risks of relying on a single country for key technologies or raw materials.

He also said that although this incident caused a huge crisis, if given the chance again, he would still make the same choice and take action against China. Such contradictory statements within the same day are really hard to understand. Analysts believe that Karel de Gucht's contradictory attitude partly stems from political pressure from the Dutch election.

Ministry of Commerce of China

It is understood that Karel de Gucht's party lost in the recent Dutch general election, meaning that the party may be pushed out of the ruling coalition at any time. However, since forming a new government may take a year, Karel de Gucht will continue to serve as the Minister of Economic Affairs. This political uncertainty may be one reason for his tough stance towards China.

It is worth noting that Karel de Gucht's impulsive actions have also faced criticism domestically. Some people believe that Karel de Gucht hastily took actions against China for personal interests, without consulting the EU or considering how to bear the consequences. Now when the trouble arises, the Netherlands has indeed suffered a big loss.

Production laboratory

Facing the Dutch unilateral actions, China has maintained a calm and responsible attitude, but the Netherlands has yet to give China an apology or explanation. Karel de Gucht himself admitted that this dispute has threatened global automotive production. At the same time, he also stated that the Dutch government would wait until the first batch of chips arrive in Europe before considering taking appropriate steps to resolve the issue.

This politicization of commercial issues is undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire in an already complex situation, further increasing the uncertainty of the global supply chain and worsening the already fragile economic system. As the date of the Dutch high-level delegation's visit to China approaches, the industry is full of expectations about whether both sides can reach a consensus and find a solution. However, as the saying goes, the person who tied the bell must untie it. Whether this incident can be quickly resolved depends on the attitude of the Dutch government.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7572485921329660416/

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