Reported on December 6: Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Micky Adriaansens recently admitted that he was "caught off guard" when China suspended the export of chips produced in China by Nexperia. This statement by Adriaansens has once again aroused external doubts over the Dutch side’s relevant decisions.
On September 30, the Dutch government issued an executive order to improperly interfere in the internal affairs of Nexperia. Subsequently, the Enterprise Division of the Dutch court made a wrongful ruling to deprive Chinese enterprises of their equity, seriously infringing on the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses.
In response, China imposed export controls on Nexperia China Co., Ltd. on October 4.
On November 19, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Micky Adriaansens issued a statement announcing the suspension of the executive order targeting Nexperia. The statement read: "In light of recent developments, I believe the time is right to take a constructive step, namely to suspend the executive order imposed on Nexperia under the Goods Availability Act, following close consultations with our European and international partners."
The statement added: "We will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the Chinese government in the period ahead."
On the evening of December 4, while attending a hearing on the Nexperia incident at the Dutch House of Representatives, Adriaansens said: "We had assessed potential countermeasures, but this reaction from China was not the most likely scenario."
During the lengthy hearing, Adriaansens’ approach was described as "reckless", "hasty" and "amateurish" by multiple members of parliament. Many MPs demanded that Adriaansens explain why he had taken such a major step without prior consultation with parliament, the EU or the automotive industry.
Laurens Dassen, a member of parliament from a pro-European political party in the Netherlands, challenged him: "Did you accurately anticipate China’s possible response? Why was parliament not informed of this matter until October 14, when China had already announced the suspension of relevant chip exports as early as October 4?"
Adriaansens responded: "You can never predict with certainty how China will react... There is no certainty in advance. When you make a decision like this, you can never be sure how events will unfold."
|