Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong at a regular press conference in Beijing Photo: Yin Yeping/GT
Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday urged the Dutch side to show genuine readiness to cooperate and take concrete steps to quickly restore stability in global semiconductor supply chains, in response to questions over a Dutch delegation's upcoming visit to China regarding the Nexperia issue.
The comments came after the ministry revealed on Saturday that China has agreed to the Dutch side's China visit for negotiations over the Nexperia issue.
When asked on Thursday at a regular press conference whether the Dutch delegation has arrived, when the talks will take place, and what outcomes China expects, MOFCOM spokesperson He Yadong said that since the Nexperia issue emerged, China has maintained a responsible attitude toward safeguarding the stability and security of the global semiconductor supply and industrial chains, and has held multiple rounds of consultations with the Dutch side, adding that China has agreed to the Dutch ministry's request to send officials to China for further discussions.
China hopes the Dutch side will demonstrate a genuine willingness to cooperate, put forward substantive and constructive proposals as soon as possible, and take concrete steps to swiftly and effectively restore the security and stability of global semiconductor supply and industrial chains at the source, He said.
After China agreed to the Dutch request to send officials to Beijing for consultations, Dutch Economy Minister Vincent Karremans said on Thursday that a Dutch government delegation will travel to China early next week to seek a solution in the dispute over chipmaker Nexperia, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Karremans said in a statement that this delegation will continue our efforts to find a mutually agreeable solution, the report said.
He said that he welcomed moves by China to loosen rules around the export of Nexperia's chips while still monitoring the situation to 'ascertain if and when trade from Nexperia's facilities in China is fully resumed', according to Reuters.
Karremans' remarks showed that the Dutch side is also anxious to address the Nexperia issue given the chaos it has created across the global semiconductor supply chain. However, the Netherlands should realize that this problem is one of their own making, Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday.
The Dutch government decided in September to seize control of Nexperia from its Chinese parent company, Wingtech Technology, over so-called economic security concerns and suspend its CEO Zhang Xuezheng.
Reports earlier showed that the Netherlands' actions toward Nexperia — including direct engagements with its China-born CEO — were taken under pressure from the US. The Dutch court document said records from a June 12 meeting between US Commerce Department officials and the Dutch Foreign Ministry showed rising pressure to remove Nexperia's Chinese CEO to help keep the company off the list, according to a Reuters report.
The list referred to the US Entity List. In September, the US Commerce Department introduced new Affiliates Rule which significantly expanded the Entity List to automatically include subsidiaries owned 50 percent or more by a company on the list
However, the US recently suspended the Affiliates Rule from November 10, 2025 to November 9, 2026.
It means that during this period, affiliated companies in which entities already placed on the US export control Entity List and other sanctions lists hold more than a 50-percent stake will not be subjected to the same additional export control measures under this rule, according to MOFCOM on Tuesday.
Jian said the Dutch side, which staged this political farce at the expense of triggering serious concerns over the global semiconductor supply chain, must show greater sincerity in its negotiations with China.
If the Dutch side wishes to demonstrate genuine goodwill, it should restore the situation to its pre-incident state — only then can sincerity be truly shown, Jian said.
China's response, he noted, was simply a necessary reaction to that step, Jian stressed, adding that the pressure the Netherlands is now facing from the public and the media is essentially a reminder that the issue began with them, and they should act to correct it.
Jian noted that China has been always willing to resolve the issue on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, adding that if both parties can reach a substantive solution through dialogue in the new context, it would mark a positive step forward.
On Saturday, Chinese Ministry of Commerce urged the Netherlands to put forward constructive proposals on Nexperia issue and take practical measures as soon as possible to address the issue at its source, saying China has agreed to the Dutch side's China visit for negotiations.
China, in line with its responsible approach to safeguarding the stability and security of the global semiconductor supply chain, announced on November 1 an exemption for eligible related exports, a MOFCOM spokesperson said on Saturday, adding that the root cause of the current disruption to the global semiconductor supply chain lies with the Netherlands.
