The Dutch government’s pause, announced Wednesday, was welcomed by China’s commerce ministry. Yet Wingtech, alongside Beijing, is pressing for a reversal of a Dutch court ruling last month that stripped the Chinese firm of its controlling stake in Nexperia, viewing it as the necessary next step to resolve the ongoing dispute.
In a detailed statement, Wingtech criticized the Dutch government for failing to address the court ruling directly. “Wingtech Technology will never accept any attempt to ‘legalise’ illegal outcomes, nor will it accept a ‘new normal’ of Nexperia's equity and governance created through illegal procedures,” the company said, signaling a potential legal battle in Dutch courts over the chipmaker’s control.
Nexperia, a key supplier of computer chips for the automotive and consumer electronics industries, has seen recent turbulence amid supply chain disruptions. Beijing recently eased export controls on Nexperia chips packaged in China, offering temporary relief to automakers and their global suppliers. However, Chinese authorities have emphasized that regulatory and legal issues, including the court ruling, must be resolved for the supply chain to stabilize.
The conflict escalated after the Dutch government intervened on September 30, following a petition by Nexperia’s European managers to the Amsterdam Enterprise Chamber to remove CEO Zhang Xuezheng over alleged mismanagement—a claim Wingtech rejects. Court decisions on October 1 and 7 transferred Wingtech’s shares to a Dutch lawyer, effectively reducing Chinese control.
According to court filings, Nexperia had been considering changes to its corporate structure in early 2025 to avoid being added to the U.S. “entity list” of companies deemed security threats. Wingtech itself has been on the U.S. list since December 2024.
On Thursday, Wingtech accused the Dutch government of orchestrating and supporting the legal actions, urging it to withdraw its involvement. The Amsterdam Enterprise Chamber told Reuters it must decide “within a reasonable period” whether to order a full investigation into alleged mismanagement, but no date has been set for that decision.
The dispute underscores ongoing tensions between China, the Netherlands, and the U.S., as countries balance national security concerns with the stability of global chip supply chains.