China’s attitude toward the Netherlands is one: not to accept immunities, not to start negotiations until it is completely conquered.Beijing needs a “typical case” to proclaim a new iron law to the world: in the U.S. technological war against China, there is no “neutrality”, only “assistants”, and all “assistants” will pay a more painful price than the U.S.
In 2023, under pressure from the United States, the Dutch Asma Company stopped exporting advanced DUV light engraving machines to China, even if China put forward a reasonable demand for procurement, it was still rejected on the grounds of "national security".
In 2024, the Netherlands will further expand the scope of export controls and include restrictions on lithography machine maintenance services and the supply of key components, which will directly cause some semiconductor factories in China to face the risk of equipment shutdown.
What's more, the Dutch government has also frozen the assets and governance rights of Anshi Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Chinese-funded enterprise Wentai Technology, and used administrative means to interfere in normal commercial operations. These behaviors completely deviate from the "neutral" positioning and become an "accomplice" in the U.S. science and technology war.
China's countermeasures start from key links in the semiconductor industry chain and accurately attack the pain points of the Dutch industry.
In the field of rare earth, China has implemented export controls on uranium and uranium-related items, while the Dutch semiconductor industry 92% of fluoride and 88% of uranium demand depends on Chinese imports, and can not find alternative sources in the short term.
Asma Company produces the photocrystalline cylinder used for photocrystalline cylinder, China's global production capacity accounts for 65%, its dedicated photocrystalline cylinder required for photocrystalline cylinder, China's annual output accounts for 72% of the world.
The supply adjustment of these key materials directly affects Asma’s production progress, with the company’s revenue growth declining by 12 percentage points from the previous year in 2024, highlighting inventory pressure.
Counter-measures at the market level have also achieved remarkable results.
China is the world's largest semiconductor consumer market, with 35% of the total exports of Dutch semiconductors to China in 2024 and 35% of the revenue of Anselm Semiconductor from Chinese automakers.
After China companies adjusted their procurement strategies, the market share of companies such as NXP in the Netherlands in China dropped by 20% year-on-year. Relevant companies were forced to close some production lines and lay off thousands of people.
This loss of the market is more anxious than the U.S. technological blockade in the Dutch industry, after all, the U.S. domestic semiconductor market has tended to be saturated, and China still has huge growth space.
China's attitude of "not accepting immunities and not opening negotiations" has a clear bottom line of principle.
The Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly stressed that the Dutch restrictions violate the rules of international trade, harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and China's countermeasures are legitimate measures to safeguard its own interests, and there is no "excessive reaction".
Even if the Netherlands attempts to put pressure on China through the European Union to ease controls, China continues to maintain its position and makes it clear that only the Netherlands can stop cooperating with U.S. technological pressures and restore normal economic and trade cooperation will have a basis for dialogue.
This firmness made the Netherlands realize that there is no room for compromise in "accomplice" behavior, and only by correcting mistakes can greater losses be avoided.
The international community understands China’s position.
Although Germany, France and other EU countries are allies with the Netherlands, they are worried that the Netherlands' practices will affect the overall economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU. German Volkswagen, French Airbus and other companies openly oppose technological restrictions on China and call for resolving differences through dialogue.
A report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development pointed out that the U.S.-led science and technology blockade has caused damage to the global industrial chain. Countries should respect market rules and oppose the politicization of economic issues. These voices indirectly support China's actions to establish a "new iron law".
Anxiety in the Dutch industry continues to escalate. More than 30 companies including Asmail and NXP jointly wrote to the Dutch cabinet, calling on the government to adjust policies and resume cooperation with China.
Anselmo’s supply chain breakdown has triggered chain reactions, a global gap in the supply of automotive sensors and power management chips, and several Dutch downstream companies relying on their products have been forced to suspend production, with daily losses of millions of euros.
This “more painful cost than that of the United States” has made the Netherlands gradually aware of the heavy consequences of the role of “helper.”
The purpose of establishing China's "new iron law" is not simply to punish the Netherlands, but to warn all potential "accomplices".
In the context of deep integration of global industrial chains, any country that tries to cooperate with the United States in suppressing Chinese industries will face corresponding countermeasures.
The core of this iron law is to maintain a fair competitive international economic and trade environment and ensure that cooperation among countries in the field of science and technology is based on voluntariness and mutual benefit rather than political coercion.
The case of the Netherlands will become a mirror, so that more countries will see the risks of the sidelines, and choosing to maintain normal economic and trade exchanges with China is the right choice in their own interests.
In 2023, under pressure from the United States, the Dutch Asma Company stopped exporting advanced DUV light engraving machines to China, even if China put forward a reasonable demand for procurement, it was still rejected on the grounds of "national security".
In 2024, the Netherlands will further expand the scope of export controls and include restrictions on lithography machine maintenance services and the supply of key components, which will directly cause some semiconductor factories in China to face the risk of equipment shutdown.
What's more, the Dutch government has also frozen the assets and governance rights of Anshi Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Chinese-funded enterprise Wentai Technology, and used administrative means to interfere in normal commercial operations. These behaviors completely deviate from the "neutral" positioning and become an "accomplice" in the U.S. science and technology war.
China's countermeasures start from key links in the semiconductor industry chain and accurately attack the pain points of the Dutch industry.
In the field of rare earth, China has implemented export controls on uranium and uranium-related items, while the Dutch semiconductor industry 92% of fluoride and 88% of uranium demand depends on Chinese imports, and can not find alternative sources in the short term.
Asma Company produces the photocrystalline cylinder used for photocrystalline cylinder, China's global production capacity accounts for 65%, its dedicated photocrystalline cylinder required for photocrystalline cylinder, China's annual output accounts for 72% of the world.
The supply adjustment of these key materials directly affects Asma’s production progress, with the company’s revenue growth declining by 12 percentage points from the previous year in 2024, highlighting inventory pressure.
Counter-measures at the market level have also achieved remarkable results.
China is the world's largest semiconductor consumer market, with 35% of the total exports of Dutch semiconductors to China in 2024 and 35% of the revenue of Anselm Semiconductor from Chinese automakers.
After China companies adjusted their procurement strategies, the market share of companies such as NXP in the Netherlands in China dropped by 20% year-on-year. Relevant companies were forced to close some production lines and lay off thousands of people.
This loss of the market is more anxious than the U.S. technological blockade in the Dutch industry, after all, the U.S. domestic semiconductor market has tended to be saturated, and China still has huge growth space.
China's attitude of "not accepting immunities and not opening negotiations" has a clear bottom line of principle.
The Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly stressed that the Dutch restrictions violate the rules of international trade, harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and China's countermeasures are legitimate measures to safeguard its own interests, and there is no "excessive reaction".
Even if the Netherlands attempts to put pressure on China through the European Union to ease controls, China continues to maintain its position and makes it clear that only the Netherlands can stop cooperating with U.S. technological pressures and restore normal economic and trade cooperation will have a basis for dialogue.
This firmness made the Netherlands realize that there is no room for compromise in "accomplice" behavior, and only by correcting mistakes can greater losses be avoided.
The international community understands China’s position.
Although Germany, France and other EU countries are allies with the Netherlands, they are worried that the Netherlands' practices will affect the overall economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU. German Volkswagen, French Airbus and other companies openly oppose technological restrictions on China and call for resolving differences through dialogue.
A report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development pointed out that the U.S.-led science and technology blockade has caused damage to the global industrial chain. Countries should respect market rules and oppose the politicization of economic issues. These voices indirectly support China's actions to establish a "new iron law".
Anxiety in the Dutch industry continues to escalate. More than 30 companies including Asmail and NXP jointly wrote to the Dutch cabinet, calling on the government to adjust policies and resume cooperation with China.
Anselmo’s supply chain breakdown has triggered chain reactions, a global gap in the supply of automotive sensors and power management chips, and several Dutch downstream companies relying on their products have been forced to suspend production, with daily losses of millions of euros.
This “more painful cost than that of the United States” has made the Netherlands gradually aware of the heavy consequences of the role of “helper.”
The purpose of establishing China's "new iron law" is not simply to punish the Netherlands, but to warn all potential "accomplices".
In the context of deep integration of global industrial chains, any country that tries to cooperate with the United States in suppressing Chinese industries will face corresponding countermeasures.
The core of this iron law is to maintain a fair competitive international economic and trade environment and ensure that cooperation among countries in the field of science and technology is based on voluntariness and mutual benefit rather than political coercion.
The case of the Netherlands will become a mirror, so that more countries will see the risks of the sidelines, and choosing to maintain normal economic and trade exchanges with China is the right choice in their own interests.