Beijing seeks chip stability and fair market access during Dutch trade minister’s trip

Beijing has urged the Netherlands to ensure fair treatment for Chinese companies and maintain stable chip supply chains during a visit by the Dutch trade minister, as the two sides navigate tech tensions with Washington while seeking a “clean break” from friction over Nexperia.

“We hope the Dutch government will create a fair, impartial and predictable business environment for Chinese companies investing in the Netherlands,” Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said during a meeting with his Dutch counterpart, Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, according to a ministry statement on Wednesday.

During the meeting, which took place on Tuesday, Wang also called on the Netherlands to promote the resolution of disputes “involving relevant enterprises”. And he invited further Dutch investment to share in China’s massive market, adding that Beijing was willing to strengthen cooperation in advanced manufacturing, technological innovation, the green transition, and services.

Sjoerdsma told Reuters that he had discussed the Nexperia situation with Wang, and that the two countries were working together “extremely well” on the issue.

“Both of us wanted to make a clean break from the previous period, in which there were a lot of frictions and problems,” he was quoted as saying on Tuesday.