【By Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】Recently, the Netherlands has suddenly become entangled in a geopolitical vortex, and its every move has been closely watched.

According to a report by the Financial Times on October 20th local time, due to concerns that the Trump administration might use intelligence "to violate human rights" and "assist Russia", the Netherlands has restricted intelligence cooperation with the United States. The report cited comments from the head of the Dutch civil and military intelligence agencies during an interview with the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant on October 18th, saying, "Given that our intelligence has been politicized," the Netherlands has become more cautious in intelligence sharing.

The Financial Times believes that this is the most candid admission so far by a foreign intelligence agency regarding the consequences of President Trump's interference in intelligence affairs.

At the same time, it is worth noting that, as the Sino-US trade war remains tense, Chinese semiconductor enterprises have been "forcibly taken over" in the Netherlands. It is well known that the United States and the Netherlands have long cooperated closely in the field of chip industry export controls. Subsequently, the Dutch side's "this place has no silver three hundred taels" and the subsequent exposure of court documents all point to: the US had already urged the Netherlands to "do something underhand."

The director of the Dutch Public Intelligence Service (AIVD), Erik Akerboom (right), and the director of the Dutch Military Intelligence Service (MIVD), Peter Reesink, from the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant

The directors of the Dutch Public Intelligence Service (AIVD), Erik Akerboom, and the Dutch Military Intelligence Service (MIVD), Peter Reesink, said in this interview that they regretted the dismissal of the US National Security Advisor Timothy Haugh by President Trump in April this year.

Previously, although the reason for Haugh's dismissal was not disclosed, Reuters reported that an American far-right figure who urged Trump to dismiss Haugh gave an explanation: Haugh had a connection with Mark Milley, the former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has always been a critic of Trump.

"I can't comment on how the relationship now differs from before. But indeed, we make our own decisions, and sometimes we no longer share certain information," Reesink said.

These two Dutch intelligence officials said that the restricted shared intelligence involved Russia. The Financial Times added that Trump's stance toward Russian President Putin has changed multiple times this year, with the latest change occurring last Friday (October 17th), when he pressured Ukrainian President Zelensky to agree to Russia's "ceasefire conditions".

When asked what the intelligence agencies would do if they were unsure about the use of intelligence related to Russia, Reesink replied, "We will weigh it." Akerboom added, "Sometimes you have to consider the specific situation - can I still share this information?"

When asked whether the restructuring of federal agencies such as the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) by the Trump administration affected the willingness of Dutch intelligence agencies to share information with the US, Akerboom replied, "We won't judge what we see from a political perspective, but we will make judgments based on our experience of cooperation with these agencies. We are highly vigilant about the issues of 'politicization of intelligence' and 'violation of human rights'."

However, Reesink then stated that after his visit to the US National Security Agency and the US Central Intelligence Agency a few months ago, "the relationship between both sides is good." He also said, "The relationship between both sides is good and will continue. But this will not change the fact that we regularly assess our cooperation."

Bart Groothuis, a former cybersecurity chief at the Dutch Ministry of Defense and current member of the European Parliament, said that the Netherlands and the US have long maintained close cooperation. He believes that if the US distances itself from allies in a similar way, it will harm itself.

"This shows that many strong security collaborations are actually based on soft power trust and values, and both are indispensable," he said.

The Financial Times pointed out that for decades, the Netherlands has been one of the most steadfast allies and intelligence partners of the United States. Dutch spies helped sabotage Iran's nuclear program, including implanting the Stuxnet computer virus into Iranian systems through an Iranian engineer in 2010.

Recently, China's leading semiconductor company, Wintech Technology, has faced major regulatory challenges, with its core asset Nexperia, headquartered in the Netherlands, having its assets, intellectual property, etc., frozen for a year starting from September 30th due to instructions from the Dutch government.

At the same time, some foreign executives of Nexperia even requested the court to initiate an investigation into the company and suspend the duties of the CEO appointed by the parent company Wintech Technology. The Dutch side also required the appointment of a foreign director with decisive voting rights and entrusted all shares of Nexperia (minus one share) to someone later designated and announced.

Maaike Okano-Heymans, a scholar at the Kringen Dal Institute, a Dutch think tank that studies geopolitical and technological issues, told the Dutch NOS radio station, "The US is determined to curb China's rise as a technological power. Europe has not yet clarified what kind of relationship it wants to establish with China. Therefore, the Netherlands' tough intervention measures are likely carried out under pressure from the US."

On October 16th, He Yongqian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, stated that the Chinese side is paying attention to the relevant situation and firmly opposes the Dutch side's generalization of the concept of national security and direct intervention in internal corporate affairs. The Dutch side's actions not only violate 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 US's penetration rules are the main perpetrators of harm to Chinese companies. He hopes that the Dutch side will uphold independence and autonomy, take into account the maintenance of Sino-Dutch economic and trade relations and the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain, respect objective facts, adhere to the spirit of contract and market principles, correct their wrong practices, 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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